Emily’s place later. Come in, come in, can I get you something?’
He closed the door behind him. ‘A beer. Thanks.’ He walked into the living room while his mum went into the kitchen. Jim andWendy were sitting on the cream leather couch. They both stood up. Wendy hurried towards him.
‘Tony,’ she said, starting to cry. ‘I’m so, so sorry …’
‘Thanks,’ he said, as he hugged her. He gently extricated himself. ‘Thanks for coming …’
‘Oh, of course … I just wish … You know, I wanted to come over when he was born, but I wanted to give you space, and she said,
she said not to. And now … I never even got to meet him!’
Tony felt his own tears threatening to escape as Wendy covered her face with her hands and sobbed. He cleared his throat and
looked over at his dad, who stared at the floor. Just then, Ursula walked into the room and handed Tony a beer. He gripped
the foam stubby holder and took a gulp.
‘Wendy, can I get you another glass of wine?’ Ursula said, putting her hand on Wendy’s shoulder. Wendy took a deep breath,
nodded, and picked up her empty glass from the floor beside the couch. Ursula walked over to the half-empty bottle of wine
on the walnut sideboard and poured two glasses.
Jim raised his own bottle of beer as if he was going to propose a toast, then let it drop again. ‘It’s been a long couple
of days.’
Everyone nodded, then Wendy looked up at Tony. ‘How’s Anna?’
He shook his head. How could he explain it? If he hadn’t seen her for himself, he’d never have believed it. ‘Not good. She
was still sleeping when I left this morning, conked out on some medication they gave her. I haven’t been able to speak to
her.’ He closed his eyes for a moment. ‘They moved her to the … psychiatry ward.’ He waited for Wendy to protest, to gasp
in horror, but she just nodded. Was he the only one who thought she shouldn’t be there?
‘I heard. I called the hospital earlier but they said I couldn’t visit until after her rest time.’ Wendy wiped tears from
her eyes. ‘I’m sure the doctors know what they’re doing.’
He nodded, but his face started to flush as he thought of the letter in his bag.
‘Does she know about Jack?’ Wendy asked, almost whispering.
He shook his head. He was too tired to piece everything together, and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to try. ‘I don’t know.
I have no idea what she knows.’
‘Dear God,’ said Ursula, under her breath. ‘Well, we need to go and see her. They can’t keep her family away. Wendy, Tony
can take you.’
He picked at the label on his beer bottle, avoiding his mum’s gaze. ‘They have rules, Mum. She’s in the locked ward.’
Ursula frowned. ‘The locked ward?’
‘I’m sure that doesn’t mean anything, love,’ Jim said.
‘Why is she locked up?’
‘Mum, surely you can work it out.’ He slammed his beer bottle down on the coffee table. ‘They think she’s dangerous.’ He let
out a laugh that was close to a cry.
Ursula opened her mouth to speak, but Jim caught her eye and shook his head. She closed it again and looked at Wendy, who
was sitting forward with her hands over her face.
‘She’ll need some clothes,’ he said quietly, looking at Wendy.
Wendy sniffed and wiped her cheeks. ‘Of course. Where —’
‘I’ve got a bag in the car. Just a few things, her toothbrush and shampoo. She hates the stuff they give you in hotels – I
can’t imagine the hospital having anything she likes. And some expensive soap that she uses when she wants a treat.’
‘That sounds great, Tony.’
‘And a book – you know what she’s like, always reading …’
‘Well, let me just wash my face and we can go now.’
He looked at Wendy. ‘I can’t.’
‘Can’t what?’ Ursula said.
‘I can’t visit her. Not now. I’m just …’ He stood up. He didn’t want to explain. He needed to sort things out in his own head
before he could see
He closed the door behind him. ‘A beer. Thanks.’ He walked into the living room while his mum went into the kitchen. Jim andWendy were sitting on the cream leather couch. They both stood up. Wendy hurried towards him.
‘Tony,’ she said, starting to cry. ‘I’m so, so sorry …’
‘Thanks,’ he said, as he hugged her. He gently extricated himself. ‘Thanks for coming …’
‘Oh, of course … I just wish … You know, I wanted to come over when he was born, but I wanted to give you space, and she said,
she said not to. And now … I never even got to meet him!’
Tony felt his own tears threatening to escape as Wendy covered her face with her hands and sobbed. He cleared his throat and
looked over at his dad, who stared at the floor. Just then, Ursula walked into the room and handed Tony a beer. He gripped
the foam stubby holder and took a gulp.
‘Wendy, can I get you another glass of wine?’ Ursula said, putting her hand on Wendy’s shoulder. Wendy took a deep breath,
nodded, and picked up her empty glass from the floor beside the couch. Ursula walked over to the half-empty bottle of wine
on the walnut sideboard and poured two glasses.
Jim raised his own bottle of beer as if he was going to propose a toast, then let it drop again. ‘It’s been a long couple
of days.’
Everyone nodded, then Wendy looked up at Tony. ‘How’s Anna?’
He shook his head. How could he explain it? If he hadn’t seen her for himself, he’d never have believed it. ‘Not good. She
was still sleeping when I left this morning, conked out on some medication they gave her. I haven’t been able to speak to
her.’ He closed his eyes for a moment. ‘They moved her to the … psychiatry ward.’ He waited for Wendy to protest, to gasp
in horror, but she just nodded. Was he the only one who thought she shouldn’t be there?
‘I heard. I called the hospital earlier but they said I couldn’t visit until after her rest time.’ Wendy wiped tears from
her eyes. ‘I’m sure the doctors know what they’re doing.’
He nodded, but his face started to flush as he thought of the letter in his bag.
‘Does she know about Jack?’ Wendy asked, almost whispering.
He shook his head. He was too tired to piece everything together, and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to try. ‘I don’t know.
I have no idea what she knows.’
‘Dear God,’ said Ursula, under her breath. ‘Well, we need to go and see her. They can’t keep her family away. Wendy, Tony
can take you.’
He picked at the label on his beer bottle, avoiding his mum’s gaze. ‘They have rules, Mum. She’s in the locked ward.’
Ursula frowned. ‘The locked ward?’
‘I’m sure that doesn’t mean anything, love,’ Jim said.
‘Why is she locked up?’
‘Mum, surely you can work it out.’ He slammed his beer bottle down on the coffee table. ‘They think she’s dangerous.’ He let
out a laugh that was close to a cry.
Ursula opened her mouth to speak, but Jim caught her eye and shook his head. She closed it again and looked at Wendy, who
was sitting forward with her hands over her face.
‘She’ll need some clothes,’ he said quietly, looking at Wendy.
Wendy sniffed and wiped her cheeks. ‘Of course. Where —’
‘I’ve got a bag in the car. Just a few things, her toothbrush and shampoo. She hates the stuff they give you in hotels – I
can’t imagine the hospital having anything she likes. And some expensive soap that she uses when she wants a treat.’
‘That sounds great, Tony.’
‘And a book – you know what she’s like, always reading …’
‘Well, let me just wash my face and we can go now.’
He looked at Wendy. ‘I can’t.’
‘Can’t what?’ Ursula said.
‘I can’t visit her. Not now. I’m just …’ He stood up. He didn’t want to explain. He needed to sort things out in his own head
before he could see
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