‘Have I slept in?’ Ella croaked out, confused.
‘No, baby, you don’t need to go to school today.’ I took a breath, preparing myself to say it out loud for the first time, making it real. ‘Ella, Gran passed away in her sleep this morning, honey. I’m so sorry, baby.’
‘Gran’s gone?’
‘Yeah, hon.’
‘Was it cardiac arrest, Mum?’
‘I don’t know, sweetheart. It probably was, though.’
‘Too many racy novels.’
‘Too many husbands. Maybe her heart did too much loving.’
‘Yeah, I don’t think medically that is the case, though, Mum. Oh, this is the worst. I miss her already.’ Ella snuggled deeper, throwing an arm around me tight. She took a huge sniffle, and I brushed her hair with my hand, tucking her under my chin. ‘Will we sit shivah, Mum?’
‘We’re not Jewish, Ella.’
‘Obviously. I know. But they did it onGrey’s Anatomy. It’s seven days of mourning. The family together. Don’t you think that’s nice?’
‘It does sound like a nice thing. I’m not sure about seven days all together. Maybe we’ll sit shivah today then.’
‘I think you’re supposed to have a funeral first.’
‘Baby, Grandma Iris did not want a funeral. She wanted a party, with good-looking waiters serving cocktail food.’
‘Oh, that sounds like Gran.’
‘Yeah.’ I smiled and held back tears. ‘Are you okay, Ella? You can come and talk to me anytime if you’re sad. It’s okay to be sad, honey.’
‘What happens when you’re sad, Mum? Who do you talk to?’
I sighed. ‘I guess I have Aunt Kate.’
‘What about Nick, Mum?’
Nick.
‘I’ve got to call your Aunty Kate, babe, and then she’ll be here soon. You stay in bed snuggled up and I’ll bring you a hot chocolate.’
In the end, the call to Kate was brief. She choked out that she would head straight over. I phoned Peter to let him know what was going on and then Monica, to let her know that I would not be in and leave some instructions.
I showered, standing under the water for the longest time, letting my sorrow drain a little.
Kate arrived about forty minutes later, with bags of groceries and floods of tears, determined to cook each of Iris’s favourite things for us. Another hour later there were batches of biscuits cooling, a cake in the oven and a soup on the stove.
‘Abbey, it’s your birthday tomorrow,’ Kate said sadly.
‘There’ll be other years to celebrate,’ I said, not even remotely sad to forego celebrating forty-three.
The doorbell rang, and the three of us looked at each other. I could see us all calculating who on earth it could be, given that everyone who was required there by blood was already present.
I found myself getting annoyed, thinking it was Peter, who I definitely did not want to see today, and I marched to the door to get rid of him.
When I opened the door, I stood shocked and then I was overcome with emotion. Ollie was there on the porch, his wheelchair being pushed by Jacinta, the nanny, with Evelyn and Summer behind him and Lionel in between them, resting on his walking frame.
‘Oh, Abs. I’m so sorry. She was a fantastic old girl. We’re here to sit shivah. Ella invited Summer. I didn’t know you were Jewish,’ Ollie said.
