She turned, and he said, ‘Jade?’
The other two halted, looked back at him. She put the candle boat in Emma’s hand, gave her shoulder a gentle shove. ‘Bedroom first and get clean stuff.’ They went unwillingly. She and he watched them to the hallway corner. When they disappeared she looked at him.
‘Yeah. Would’ve been her.’
‘I know why, and it’s quite the opposite of stupid. She’s got problems, I’m well aware of that, but I didn’t feel very forgiving when I was sitting in the police station.’
‘You sayin you don’t want her comin here.’
‘I’m not mad on the idea.’
‘She’s our sister, Russell.’
‘And — what … you’re happy to let it go.’
‘Not happy, but I have to.’ She motioned towards the hallway. ‘For them, too, yeah.’
You can’t pick and choose, he thought, it’s the whole package or nothing.
‘Tell her she’s welcome.’
‘And what about … if sometimes she needs to crash here.’
He said carefully, ‘We can probably manage that. I’m just not so sure about any friends she might want to bring,’ Helen’s warning flashing in his head, there could be some real doozies there.
‘Won’t be any. Your house, your rules.’
‘Well I’ll leave passing on that message to you.’ The only lightness in the room was the candles. He attempted a smile. ‘We might even get her on the wheel.’
She rose to the attempt with an amused grunt, shook her head. ‘I don’t reckon.’
‘I don’t either.’ He pointed with his chin to the hallway, ‘They’ll be starting to worry, and I need to invent us some dinner.’ He dug in his pocket for the other torch. ‘Here, take this.’
When she’d gone he closed his eyes and found the woman’s face, Kells. Her manner had been cold, but the eyes not. Play to them. ‘Good morning, we’re here to lighten your case load.’
You can’t say that!
‘My oath you can!’
The water pipe was galloping. He hoped they were all in together! He put his hands to his thighs and pushed himself up. He’d bought mince yesterday, for bolognese, but they would arrive from the bathroom ravenous. In the freezer were pizzas, heat-and-eat. They tasted to him like the cardboard they came in, but the three loved them. Their first dinner as a family, it should be a celebration.
He went to the stove and sparked the oven.
Acknowledgements
The quotes at the start are from ‘Truth in Form: Pulled-Back Simplicity’ by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Studio Potter, 26 (1) 1997.
Roger McDonald and Bette Mifsud read earlier versions of the novel, and, as always, I am in their debt for a fellow writer’s and a wise wife’s doubts and suggestions.
Jennifer Sharp read a relevant section and gave her expert advice, for which I am deeply grateful.
Simon Reece allowed me to borrow treasured books from his ceramics library, and I very much thank him.
Thank you to my agent, Lyn Tranter, for being a forceful advocate when even the author wasn’t sure about a novel with so much clay in it. And for choosing Scribe to send it to!
Finally, to a superb editor, Anna Thwaites, at Scribe, who, with a sure eye, great tact, and the lovely belief that the process should, wherever possible, be fun, saw the manuscript through to publication. Thank you, Anna!
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