‘You can unpack things into the drawers, the wardrobe.’ He disappeared to get the bedding.
He came back with the duvet cover, pillowcases and sheets and as he made up the bed, she unpacked what little she had. He didn’t miss the fraying at the bottom of the pyjamas she folded and put on top of the chest of drawers ready to put under her pillow – she’d always done that; he’d forgotten until now.
When he noticed how threadbare the towel she had was, he went and fetched a couple of fresh towels and left them on the ottoman at the side of the room.
She must’ve noticed him looking at his own watch this time.
‘When does your shift start?’
‘I’m due in in an hour and a half. I don’t usually do shifts so close together but we’ve got a couple of guys off.’ And as much as he needed space from her, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. ‘I’d better get organised. I’ll leave you to unpack.’
There was something he really had to do before he so much as contemplated leaving the house or more importantly, the house with his mother in it.
When it was time for Gio to go to work, he picked up his holdall and heaved the heavier-than-usual bag over his shoulder. ‘You know where the bus stop is?’
‘I do. It’s left at the end of the road, then left again.’
He couldn’t help but smile. ‘Good.’
‘And Gio?’ she said before he reached the front door to head to work. ‘Thank you for trying to be discreet by taking away the bottles.’
When he’d left her upstairs earlier, Gio had gone downstairs to the cupboard where he kept his booze. He’d stashed all of itinside the holdall on his shoulder now – as well as a change of clothes and his washbag, there was a bottle of whisky, two bottles of red wine and a six-pack of beers. He’d crammed them in but the noise when he picked up the bag had likely given him away.
‘You can trust me here, I promise,’ she said when she got no response.
To be fair, she’d never ever told him she could be trusted before. She’d lied plenty of times and gone back on her word, said sorry, but she’d never made that claim.
‘What time will you be home?’ she asked as he stepped out of the front door into the cold October day, unsure whether it really was a good idea to be leaving her here.
‘After you.’ A few weeks and that was it. He only hoped they could be civil for all that time, that he wouldn’t regret this. ‘Call me if you need anything.’
She rushed to him and hugged him, squeezing tight like a kid clung to their mother’s legs when they didn’t want them to leave their side. ‘Thank you.’ Her words were almost too quiet to hear. ‘Stay safe, my Gio.’
He hugged her back just a moment longer. ‘I’ll do my best.’
And then he climbed into the car and drove away.
But he stopped around the corner once he was out of sight. He had to text Marco, who would think he was off his head letting her crash at his place, Marco who wouldn’t believe her claims that she was sober and doing her best, Marco who like him, would be wondering how long before this woman who was in AA, who had a job and an income, would fall on her face again.
Usually, it was only a matter of time.
And now, a few days into her stay, Gio was on edge most of the time waiting for things to escalate, for them to have a big bust-up, because that was usually only a matter of time too.
6
Bess had the cat food in her shopping basket and was perusing the flower arrangements at the supermarket when she saw him. Gio. Over by the books, with a woman who had to be a relative, given they both had the same smile. As Gio put a book in the basket, the woman took it out again and he put it right back in there.
And now he’d spotted her. She pulled out a lovely arrangement of bright winter flowers from the bucket they’d been displayed in as Gio headed her way.
‘Good to see you, Bess.’
‘And you.’ She frowned. He sounded formal rather than his usual relaxed self.
‘Those are beautiful,’ said the woman.
‘Thank you, they’re for my mum.’
‘How is she doing?’ Gio enquired, again with more formality than they usually used around each other.
