Halversham by RS Anthony

their plates up with everything on the table nevertheless. Twenty minutes later, they sat belching while Piffy went to get cheesecake from the kitchen.
    “Strawberry cheesecake! It’s my favorite,” Andy said.
    Piffy smiled and served them each a slice.
    “Oh, you shouldn’t have cooked so much, Piffy. You’re ruining me.” Mort groaned.
    “I didn’t cook them for you, Mort. I did it for Andy here, but of course, you helped yourself without restraint.”
    “You did the same. One of these days, your behind is going to get stuck in the back door and I’ll have to come wedge you out with a crowbar,” Mort teased, and they laughed. For the first time since arriving in Halversham, Andy was grateful for a normal meal with normal people. Mort belched and said, “Your lunch is making me all languid and sleepy-eyed.”
    “It’s your own fault,” Piffy said in a singsong, rising to clear the table.
    A moment later, Mort and Andy were back in the garden, ready to fell the rotting firs. Mort brought his chainsaw to life, and as if on cue, Piffy’s voice rose from the kitchen. They glanced at the back door in unison and Mort turned the chainsaw off when Piffy’s voice failed to rise above it.
    “Andy! You have a visitor. Come on,” she said.
    Mort rolled his eyes and lowered his chainsaw.
    “Despair not, Mort. I’ll be back in no time.”
    Andy jogged back into the kitchen, where Piffy was washing the dishes.
    “She’s waiting in the hall.”
    She? Andy’s heartbeat rose steadily as he headed for the hall to meet his female visitor. She was standing with her arms folded, staring at his parents’ wedding photo on the wall. Her brown sling bag rested on her side and she turned when she caught a glimpse of Andy from the corner of her eye.
    “They were beautiful together,” she said.
    “Yes, they were. What are you doing here?”
    Corrine let her hands slide down her sides and for a minute, Andy thought she was about to cry.
    “Nothing. I just… I just came to talk to you. Since you didn’t come to my secret place yesterday, I figured you’re probably still mad at me. So I came to apologize. For what I did.”
    Corrine raised a shoulder, looking sufficiently remorseful. Above all, she was skinny, untidy, and clearly famished.
    “Wait here a second,” Andy said. “I’ll be right back.”
    He went back to the garden and told Mort he’d be longer than expected. “Sorry, Mort. It’s my cousin. Can we do it tomorrow morning?”
    “Sure. Don’t worry about it.”
    Andy went back in. Corrine was standing in the exact same spot. “Have you had lunch?” Andy asked, and she shook her head. “Come with me,” he said, leading the way to the dining room. “Piffy made pot roast. Would you like some?”
    “Sure.”
    The housekeeper had just finished washing all the dishes when they walked in.
    “Take a seat,” he said to Corrine and she did. And then to Piffy, “Corrine hasn’t had lunch yet.”
    “Want me to set the food out? I just stored the leftovers in the fridge a minute ago.”
    “No, that’s okay. You can go about your work. I’ll get it myself.”
    Piffy dried her hands on a towel and left to do the laundry, leaving them alone in the dining room. Andy opened the fridge, took everything out, filled up a plate, and thrust it into the microwave while Corrine watched silently. By the time the microwave beeped, he had stored the rest back in the fridge. He removed the plate and set it in front of Corrine.
    “Thanks,” Corrine said and reached out for the fork and knife he handed her. She adjusted her seat and began eating, slowly at first, and then picking up speed. It was obvious she hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time, and it explained her bony structure. But as far as Andy was concerned, it was her own fault for being at war with her mother. Corrine’s head was bent and she didn’t look up until every morsel of food was gone. He gave her a slice of the cheesecake and she polished that