‘Me too. What’ll we do now?’
She shrugs. ‘Oh, I don’t know. We take it one day at a time and start being more honest with each other. Deal?’
‘Yeah, definitely.’ I ignore the pang of guilt. I can’t tell hereverything.
We head towards the exit. ‘Well,’ she says, ‘I’m not going to ask you about it now. But, when you’re ready, I want you to tell me the truth about what you were doing out on those streets last night and how you found him.’
Shit.
‘I will, soon. It’s just…’
She stops and raises a hand gently. ‘It’s OK. Not now. We’re still in shock. But we need to tell each other the truth from now on. We need to trust each other.’
I think of all the things I’ve kept from her. It’s a lot and I’m not sure it’s my place to say it all. Does she really need to know? Maybe I just don’t keep any new secrets from this point on.
Draw a line.
Now that I’m done with my powers.
‘I will. I promise.’
‘OK, good. Because no matter what happens next, it’s you and me. We need to be there for each other. You need to be honest with me.’ She nudges me. ‘Well, as much as a teenage boy can be with his mother.’ She winks.
I go bright red and she smirks.
Why is my mum so sassy in the hospital?
‘By the way, have you let Ben know about your dad?’
Ben?
It hadn’t even crossed my mind to tell him. I’d barely thought about him at all, not since Paul and I—
Paul!
Nope. I can’t deal with either of them right this moment.
‘No, I will do.’
She smiles. ‘I’m sure he’d want to know.’
As she walks outside, I message Ben.
Then Paul.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The doctors have ruled out an aneurysm and are now doing a few tests to check it wasn’t another kind of stroke. The waiting room fills with other families. They look like we did last night. Scared, anxious, clutching rosary beads or each other’s hands.
Cormac texts to say Paul’s invited us to watch a film at his later. He’s asked Meg as well. I feel I should be here, but when I tell Mum, she insists I go. She promises to call with any news and drives me home.
As we turn into the estate, the pavement lights up with a vision. I turn away and try to focus on what Mum is saying about house viewings. The light is getting brighter and a crow swoops right in front of the car. Mum swears and slams on the brakes. Without thinking, my gaze follows the bird towards the light.
It’s the girl from the photos. Brigid. Still a teenager. She’s walking with one of the men I saw her talking to before. I turn away, ignoring the screams in my ears as we drive past.
Let yourself forget it.
I want to. I didn’t even see anything, anyway. Just the girl walking.
