ever going to get over this?’
‘Love —’
‘Well, I’m telling you, if it was her fault, she shouldn’t just get away with it. I don’t care if she’s sick.’
‘Ursula, stop!’ Jim reached out and hugged her, firmly this time. ‘We’re all worn out, we’re all grieving. Let’s just wait
and see. We’re a family – we’re all in this together.’
She relaxed a little in Jim’s embrace, but she couldn’t let it go. ‘Well, we can’t just sit around pretending it didn’t happen.
There are things to be done, a funeral to organise …’ She started to crumple. ‘I’m so worried about Anthony.’
‘Oh love, give him time. He’ll get there.’
‘There is no time!’ she said. ‘There are so many things to do. The police, the doctors, they won’t wait! It feels like I’m
the one having to deal with it all. It’s hard for me too …’
Jim pulled her closer. For a moment she tensed and started to protest, then gave in and clung to him. Jim kissed the top of
her head. ‘And you’re doing a brilliant job, love. Tony knows that. Everyone deals with things differently.’
She brushed at her cheeks again. ‘I know, I know … But I don’t want to see Anna. Not yet. Not until we know a bit more.’
‘That’s fine, no one’s asking you to. Go and wash your face. I’ll finish up in here. We’ll get through this.’
She nodded and walked towards the bathroom. Jim was right: they would get through this. It was her job as a mother to make
sure Tony did too.
* * *
Tony balanced a carton of beer on his knee and pressed the intercom button for Sean’s apartment.
‘Hello?’ said a voice.
He looked straight at the camera. ‘Hi, mate.’
‘Tony! Come up.’
Lifting the carton onto his shoulder he pushed the gate with his hip as he balanced a half-bottle of vodka under the other
arm. He struggled up the stairs to the third floor, and walked through the open door. The news blared from the television,
and Sean wasperched on the edge of the couch eating a burger and chips. His work shirt was untucked, and his red hair was dishevelled.
He looked up, licking the salt off his fingers. ‘Come in, mate. What’s up? Don’t usually see you on a school night.’
‘Want a drink?’ Tony wrenched open the top of the cardboard box and pulled out a six-pack. He cracked the lids off two bottles
with the bottle opener on his key ring and handed one to Sean. After taking a long swig of his beer, he opened a cupboard
and found two glasses. ‘Vodka?’ he offered.
Sean laughed. ‘Bit much for me, mate, I’ll stick with the beer. Got work in the morning. As do you.’ He wrapped what was left
of his food in the paper bag it had come in and stood up to put it in the bin. ‘You OK?’
Tony rummaged in the fridge. ‘You got any juice?’
‘Nah. Should be a can of Coke in there somewhere, though.’
‘Doesn’t matter.’ He closed the fridge door, then twisted the top off the vodka bottle and half-filled one of the glasses.
He took a big gulp, then coughed.
‘Tony! What’s going on?’ Sean said, frowning.
He finished the glass and coughed again. He pulled out one of the kitchen stools and sat down with his beer. Shaking his head,
he looked up at Sean. ‘I don’t know where to start.’ His voice cracked. He really didn’t know how to say it. ‘Anna’s in hospital.’
Sean’s eyes widened. ‘Oh shit. What happened? Is she all right?’
He shook his head again. ‘She’s in the psychiatric ward.’
Sean raised his eyebrows. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, mate.’
‘And Jack …’ Tony couldn’t continue.
‘What? What about Jack?’
He bit his lip; he had to say it out loud. ‘Jack’s gone.’
‘Gone? What do you mean, gone?’
‘Gone.’
Sean’s face froze. ‘Gone as in missing, or …?’
Tony rubbed at a spot on the kitchen bench with his thumb. ‘The second option.’
Sean’s mouth opened, then closed again. His face leached of colour.
‘Love —’
‘Well, I’m telling you, if it was her fault, she shouldn’t just get away with it. I don’t care if she’s sick.’
‘Ursula, stop!’ Jim reached out and hugged her, firmly this time. ‘We’re all worn out, we’re all grieving. Let’s just wait
and see. We’re a family – we’re all in this together.’
She relaxed a little in Jim’s embrace, but she couldn’t let it go. ‘Well, we can’t just sit around pretending it didn’t happen.
There are things to be done, a funeral to organise …’ She started to crumple. ‘I’m so worried about Anthony.’
‘Oh love, give him time. He’ll get there.’
‘There is no time!’ she said. ‘There are so many things to do. The police, the doctors, they won’t wait! It feels like I’m
the one having to deal with it all. It’s hard for me too …’
Jim pulled her closer. For a moment she tensed and started to protest, then gave in and clung to him. Jim kissed the top of
her head. ‘And you’re doing a brilliant job, love. Tony knows that. Everyone deals with things differently.’
She brushed at her cheeks again. ‘I know, I know … But I don’t want to see Anna. Not yet. Not until we know a bit more.’
‘That’s fine, no one’s asking you to. Go and wash your face. I’ll finish up in here. We’ll get through this.’
She nodded and walked towards the bathroom. Jim was right: they would get through this. It was her job as a mother to make
sure Tony did too.
* * *
Tony balanced a carton of beer on his knee and pressed the intercom button for Sean’s apartment.
‘Hello?’ said a voice.
He looked straight at the camera. ‘Hi, mate.’
‘Tony! Come up.’
Lifting the carton onto his shoulder he pushed the gate with his hip as he balanced a half-bottle of vodka under the other
arm. He struggled up the stairs to the third floor, and walked through the open door. The news blared from the television,
and Sean wasperched on the edge of the couch eating a burger and chips. His work shirt was untucked, and his red hair was dishevelled.
He looked up, licking the salt off his fingers. ‘Come in, mate. What’s up? Don’t usually see you on a school night.’
‘Want a drink?’ Tony wrenched open the top of the cardboard box and pulled out a six-pack. He cracked the lids off two bottles
with the bottle opener on his key ring and handed one to Sean. After taking a long swig of his beer, he opened a cupboard
and found two glasses. ‘Vodka?’ he offered.
Sean laughed. ‘Bit much for me, mate, I’ll stick with the beer. Got work in the morning. As do you.’ He wrapped what was left
of his food in the paper bag it had come in and stood up to put it in the bin. ‘You OK?’
Tony rummaged in the fridge. ‘You got any juice?’
‘Nah. Should be a can of Coke in there somewhere, though.’
‘Doesn’t matter.’ He closed the fridge door, then twisted the top off the vodka bottle and half-filled one of the glasses.
He took a big gulp, then coughed.
‘Tony! What’s going on?’ Sean said, frowning.
He finished the glass and coughed again. He pulled out one of the kitchen stools and sat down with his beer. Shaking his head,
he looked up at Sean. ‘I don’t know where to start.’ His voice cracked. He really didn’t know how to say it. ‘Anna’s in hospital.’
Sean’s eyes widened. ‘Oh shit. What happened? Is she all right?’
He shook his head again. ‘She’s in the psychiatric ward.’
Sean raised his eyebrows. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, mate.’
‘And Jack …’ Tony couldn’t continue.
‘What? What about Jack?’
He bit his lip; he had to say it out loud. ‘Jack’s gone.’
‘Gone? What do you mean, gone?’
‘Gone.’
Sean’s face froze. ‘Gone as in missing, or …?’
Tony rubbed at a spot on the kitchen bench with his thumb. ‘The second option.’
Sean’s mouth opened, then closed again. His face leached of colour.
Similar Books
