They stay like that for several minutes, Keera sobbing and India sobbing too, holding on to her.
Dan finds a pack of tissues and hands them gently to both women.
Finally, Keera stops crying and she’s wiping away the tears with the tissue Dan handed her.
Rose can feel that he wants to say something but he’s not sure if he can speak. ‘Dan, do you want to say something to Keera?’
‘Actually, yes,’ he says in his soft deep voice. ‘In your story, you talk about being famous from when you were nine. I lecture students in my university and when theycome in first, at eighteen, nineteen, they’re very vulnerable. I know what I was like then: scared, unsure of myself. I found friends in uni, and I had met Julia at school …’
He pauses. Nobody says anything.
‘But you’ve never had these experiences. Never had a normal chance to grow up. You were almost an adult from when you were nine? What age were you when you started in TV?’
‘Nine,’ confirms Keera.
‘I can understand that your mother wanted you to use your talent, but there’s nothing there about taking care of you as a child. She treats you like a commodity and that’s a betrayal … Sorry,’ he adds, ‘that’s a harsh word.’
Keera is nodding now, tears drying on her face, which is blotchy.
‘It is the right word,’ agrees Grazia fiercely. ‘Your mother is a terrible person. When you tell your story, I can see that she bullies you. Why doesshenot make the money? Why always you? I do not like your mother.’
Grazia crosses her arms and Rose hopes that Dr Bobbi does not ever encounter her. Grazia may have perfectly manicured nails and wear expensive clothes but there is something of the street fighter in her.
Interesting.
‘Thank you all,’ sniffs Keera. ‘I feel sick now – like I’m bitching about Mom and I love her and everything but it’s just …’
‘It’s all a bit much,’ finishes Rose. ‘Keera, you’ve touched on so much here – the world-wide body shaming of women primarily, the pressure to be thin in your particular career. Then your mother is not on your side in this battle. That’s a lot to handle. Can you see how powerful you are to have decided to go to rehab? Nobodybooked you in: you chose it. That’s very powerful, that’s taking control over your life.’
Keera nods.
‘I know but I know it intellectually. I can’t feel it.’
‘You will,’ says Rose. ‘The fact that your mother is the person who is angry with you over the sort of body she thinks you need to have: do you have any insight into why she is that person? I’m not looking for blanket forgiveness, but an understanding of where she came from.’
‘She wanted to be famous,’ says Keera shrugging. ‘But it didn’t work out.’
Rose nods. ‘You can see the misguided love there,’ she says. ‘Your mother has done everything she can to give you the gift she wanted most in the world: fame. Now you know it’s her dream, not yours. You have decisions to make. Let’s take a break.’
Christos is in his chef whites and he’s looking at a message on Adriana’s phone.
‘Don’t show Rose,’ says Christos to his wife.
‘We need to!’ says Adriana. ‘She’s been emailing this person in Los Angeles about what to do. We have to tell her.’
I know what you did, Alys, and I will tell the world if you don’t shut down your so-called retreat, the message says.
This time, it’s come in to the villa’s website email from a very anonymous-sounding address.
Christos shakes his head.
‘This time it’s different,’ he says thoughtfully. ‘I will ask Marco for help.’
‘Marco? This is just about us, it’s hardly Europol business,’ says Adriana.
‘Someone is blackmailing our business,’ Christos replies. ‘I think that’s very much Europol business.’
‘Rose says she can handle it,’ protests Adriana.
