Sue Welfare - Fallen Women

This time Maggie giggled.

It was not the kind of giggle you would naturally associate with your mother.

‘It’s a damned good thing it happened today and not next week,’ Guy was saying. ‘I was supposed to be going to Germany first thing Monday morning.’

‘And you still will be. Stop worrying, I’ll be perfectly all right, I’ve already told you,’ Maggie said. ‘I can manage.’ She couldn’t, it was quite obvious, but that didn’t stop her sounding certain.

Guy looked at her. ‘Sometimes I think that Liz is right, you are such a stubborn cow. I’m going to cancel and that’s final.’

‘Don’t be silly. It’s only for a few days. I can sleep downstairs if you help me make the bed up in the sitting room. It’ll be fine. I can use the loo downstairs and the shower.’

Kate took the mug Guy offered her and tried not to concentrate on their bickering or ogle Guy’s exquisite body as he clambered back into bed, very gently lifting Maggie’s foot as he did so that she could settle back amongst a great heap of pillows. It occurred to Kate that he had probably carried her upstairs too. Damn him.

Guy pulled the duvet up around them both. He had a tattoo, a dark blue Celtic knot that wrapped itself around his suntanned biceps. Kate looked away because her mouth had started to water and because she knew she was staring.

This was not the natural order of things. Watching them in bed together, Kate had the same kind of feeling in her belly as she had had when she’d found a pile of girlie magazines under Danny’s mattress. It had come as a shock to realise her son might be sexually active; to discover her mother was was totally beyond comprehension.

Maggie was still talking. ‘There are clean sheets in the airing cupboard, sweetheart. You can have your old room. Sorry that I’m not more talkative, but I’ve had a lot of painkillers tonight and I feel really spacey.’

Really spacey? Really spacey ? What sort of expression was that for your mother to use?

‘It’s all right, you really ought to try and get some sleep,’ Kate said briskly, gathering her things and her thoughts together. ‘I was planning to stay overnight and then come and collect you tomorrow from the hospital. Maybe hang around if you needed help –’ the words were coming out a touch too jauntily. ‘But I can see that you’re in very good hands. No need for me to stay.’

‘Do you want me to help you sort the bed out?’ asked Guy. ‘I’ve put your bag in your room.’ He made as if to get up again.

‘No, no. I’ll be fine, really I – thanks,’ she said waving him back down. ‘I’ll take my tea into the bedroom. Been a long drive –’ Kate yawned theatrically. ‘It was Liz. You know what she’s like. I wouldn’t have come if she hadn’t … I mean, and there’s Guy, I didn’t know about – well, I just thought …’ the words jammed up in her throat.

Maggie smiled. ‘I’m really glad you did come, Kate.’ Spacey or not, her voice was soft and full of love. ‘Can you stay a day or two? It would be so good to catch up. It seems like ages since we’ve talked, I want to hear all your news. How are the boys? How’s work going? And Joe? I’ve missed you, sweet pea.’

Kate looked from one face to the other and felt tears prickling up all hot and raw behind her eyes, which was all the more disturbing because it was the last thing she had expected. And then she nodded, ‘Maybe, probably, possibly.’ As she got to the door Kate realised she’d promised to ring Chrissie. The question was what the hell was she going to say to her?

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