I only knew how much I’d missed Mum when I cried for sheer relief as she stepped out of the taxi onto the courtyard and I could finally hug her again. The part of me that’s been confronted with a whole bunch of disappointment lately had been refusing to look forward too much to her visit. Pure self-preservation in case it didn’t work out, I guess. But it did.
Although she’s only staying a couple of days, Mum’s got a massive suitcase with her. It’s filled with the things I’ve asked her for in the last few weeks. Now, all at once, I’ve got a kettle, my own bedding, and a new string of lights.
Mum’s constantly darting around here and there, all bright eyes. I can feel how pleased she is to be back at Dunbridge Academy.
“Who are we seeing first?” she asks as we head back downstairs a little later.
“Mr.Ward.” Mum flinches almost imperceptibly, but I see it. “Maths and English.”
“OK.” She clears her throat quietly. “Mr.Ward. Who else?”
“Ms.Ventura, Ms.Kelleher, and Mr.Ringling.”
As we walk toward the classrooms, we meet other parents. It’s just a parents’ evening, but it’s almost like a special occasion. But maybe that’s only because we’re all in school uniform. Including Henry, of course, who’s standing at the foot of the stairs in his role as school captain, next to Mr.Harper, the secretary, looking outrageously good.
Henry glances at us as we come closer. He smiles his school-captain smile, looks away, then right back at us again.
His lips form a soundless “Hi.” I wonder how inappropriate it would be to kiss him now and decide onvery. So I just stop and turn to my mum.
“Mum, this is Henry.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms.Beck,” he says at once, holding out his hand.
He remembered. I’d mentioned it once, but of course he remembered that my mum has a different surname from me.
“Oh, Henry!” Mum exclaims. “You’reHenry! How nice! It’s lovely to meet you too.”
It’s weird hearing Mum speak English again. Like she used to with my dad. I know that she still has to speak English for work almost every day, but I only hear it now and then on holiday. And it’s the first time I’ve really taken in that Henry and I don’t speak German to each other. English is just so normal now that I simply forget.
“Did you have a good journey?”
I’m sure it’s not the first time Henry’s asked that question today, but somehow, he manages to sound genuinely interested.
“Yes, thank you. It’s a little bit like coming home.”
“Oh, yes, you were at school here too, weren’t you?” His eyes meet mine. “Emma told me that. We’re doing two of the same A levels.”
Henry’s immediately snared her with that unfair charm of his. She laughs and throws a sneaking glance in my direction once we’re walking on again. Luckily, I can avoid any furtherquestions. It’s time for our first appointment. Mr.Ward is sitting at his desk, sorting through various files.
Mum stops as we approach the open door. She puts her shoulders back a fraction as we walk in. He raises his head, and suddenly, there’s something in his expression I’ve never seen before. Emotion. Pain, fury, contempt. They vanish as soon as he stands up.
“Laura,” he says. I only realize when Mum calls him by his first name too.
“Alaric,” she replies. It’s her lawyer voice. I only know it from when she’s on the phone. She doesn’t say,Nice to see you.They shake hands. Mr.Ward gives me a curt nod, then indicates the two chairs in front of his desk.
“I presume we’re not waiting for Jacob?”
Mum doesn’t flinch, but my throat feels tight. At this moment, I understand there must be more to this. More things that Mum won’t talk about with me. More secrets and tangled links.
“No, we’re not.” Mum’s voice is chilly. She’s sitting very straight. “Let’s talk about my daughter.”
I don’t want to be here. Why do pupils have to come to parents’ evening conversations here at Dunbridge? It can only be awkward.
“Yes, we should do that.” Mr.Ward finds a page in his notebook. His eyes pass over me, and I find myself holding my breath. “Emma is very ambitious, you have to give her that. I teach her mathematics and English. She is putting in a solid performance in maths, but in English, there is room for improvement, to put it mildly. She didn’t pass the first test of the school year. Currently,she’s averaging a C grade in her written work, while I would put her spoken proficiency at B minus. We don’t make allowances for non-native speakers here, of course. It’s clear from her accent that you only speak German to her. It’s a great shame.”
“Could we please stick to the point?” Mum’s voice sounds calm, but her expression is adamant.
“Of course. Well, Emma will only be here a year, so as far as that goes, none of this is a particular disaster.”
