Surtsey’s hand was on Donna’s now. ‘I don’t even know what to say.’
She wondered about her own mum dying, how she would cope. Would she keep on plugging away or spiral out of control?
‘Hey, babes.’
Halima was leaning against the kitchen doorway as if she’d been there for a while. Her eyes went to Surtsey’s hand on Donna’s. Surtsey eased back in her chair, slid her hand away. She caught a flicker of a look in Donna’s eye.
‘Hey,’ Surtsey said, between glugs of wine. ‘This is Donna. Donna, this is Halima.’
‘Hey,’ Halima said.
‘Hi.’
‘Hal is doing a PhD too.’ Surtsey turned to Halima. ‘Donna works at the hospice up the road, looking after Mum.’
‘And some other folk, I hope,’ Halima said.
‘We went to school together,’ Surtsey said.
‘Well, I was the year below,’ Donna said.
Halima got a wine glass down from a cupboard and poured.
Donna scraped her chair as she stood up. ‘Can I use your bathroom?’
‘Upstairs, first on the left,’ Surtsey said.
Halima watched as she left the room, her wine glass to her lips. She waited until Donna was upstairs then turned to Surtsey.
‘Bringing new friends home now?’
‘What’s got into you?’
‘She seems nice.’
Surtsey drank. ‘She is. She’s been a lot of help with Mum.’
‘How come I’ve never met her before?’
‘Because you’ve hardly ever been to St Columba’s.’
‘And how does Nurse Ratched feel about that?’
‘Don’t call her that. What’s got into you?’
Halima folded her arms. ‘Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting company, it’s been a fucker of a day.’
Surtsey looked out the window. ‘Tell me about it.’
Halima stared at her. ‘Did you have to lie to the police as well, yeah?’
Surtsey frowned for a second before remembering. ‘Shit, Hal, sorry. How did it go?’
‘Thanks for asking.’
‘Christ, don’t, I’ve had a crazy day. I forgot for a moment.’
‘It’s fine, I was just sweating in the police station lying for you, for reasons I don’t understand, while you sat here playing happy families with your new buddy.’
‘They interviewed you at the station?’
Halima’s face softened. ‘It was easier for me to go there on my way home, that’s all.’ Her wine glass was empty already so she refilled.
‘How was it?’
Halima sipped. ‘It was actually OK. They phoned me at the office after you did, I said I’d pop in. They took a statement. I said we were alone together at home that night, like we agreed. Said we just sat watching comedy and drinking. Which, like you said, is true.’
‘Thanks, I really owe you.’
‘Yes, you do.’ Halima went to the doorway of the kitchen and looked up the stairs, checking to see if Donna was coming. ‘I still don’t understand why you can’t tell them where you really were.’
‘I told you I panicked,’ Surtsey said. ‘They were a pair of misogynist pricks. They thought I was a slut because I had two men on the go, I didn’t want to add a third.’
Halima narrowed her eyes. ‘Is that really it?’
‘Yes.’
‘There’s nothing else you want to tell me?’
‘Like what?’
‘We’re best friends, right?’
‘Right.’
‘I said I had you covered and I do. But if there’s something else you want to tell me about this whole mess, now’s the time.’
Footfall on the stairs, the squeak of a hand sliding down the banister.
‘I best be going,’ Donna said as she came into the kitchen. She hovered at the doorway looking at her wine glass, hardly touched on the table. ‘Thanks for the drink.’
Surtsey got up, smiling. ‘Thanks for today, Donna, I mean it.’
‘It was nothing.’
‘What happened today?’ Halima said.
‘Donna helped me take Mum to the Inch.’
‘I was really just doing my job,’ Donna said.
Surtsey began to walk her out. ‘It was more than that, and you know it.’
Donna was at the door now. She looked back to the kitchen.
‘Nice to meet you, Halima.’
Halima raised her glass. ‘Cheers.’
Surtsey opened the door. Donna touched her arm, gave a little rub. ‘You’re being amazing for your mum.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘You really are,’ Donna said. ‘I wish I’d been as good a daughter as you.’
‘Enough,’ Surtsey said, not unkindly. ‘Are you working tomorrow?’
Donna nodded. ‘Early shift.’
‘I’ll pop in, not sure what time.’
‘Bye, Surtsey.’ Donna’s hand was still on her arm.
‘Bye.’
She watched Donna go down the path and through the gate, sodium lamplight making her dark hair glow. The way she walked wasn’t confident, a self-consciousness about her body as she loped along the prom. She looked back and waved, and Surtsey was glad she’d stayed at the doorway to return the gesture.
She closed the door and went back to the kitchen where Halima was pouring the wine from Donna’s glass into her own.
‘Nursey seems nice.’
‘If you’re pissed off with me, fine,’ Surtsey said. ‘But don’t take it out on her.’
‘Whatever,’ Halima said, heading upstairs. She dug out her hash pipe. ‘I’m off for a bath.’
Surtsey went back to the kitchen and picked up her drink. She sipped it and looked out the back window at the boatshed. She heard the bath running upstairs and the bathroom door closing, music playing through the floor. After a moment the doorbell rang.
Surtsey headed for the door sipping her wine.
She opened it and her eyes widened. Alice stood there, hair a mess, eyes puffy, a raincoat over a summer dress. Cowering behind her legs were her daughters. Gracie was wide-eyed, staring at her mum, while the younger one, Belle, looked sleepy and confused.
‘Shit,’ Surtsey said. ‘Alice.’
Alice’s head was shaking, as if she was disagreeing with herself. ‘Why did you come to my fucking house this morning?’
Surtsey’s eyes shot to Gracie, who had her hand over her mouth. She was holding her little sister’s hand with the other, and gave her a worried glance.
Surtsey smelled booze on Alice’s breath.
‘I know all about you,’ Alice said, pointing. Her weight
