“Can we finish the game now?” Harry says, clutching his teddy as he warily enters the kitchen.
“What game is it?” Ash says.
“Snakes and ladders.” Harry runs into the living room, and Ash and I follow. We all sit on the floor around the board on the coffee table.
“Shall we start again?” I say, finding another counter for Ash.
“Are you playing? Harry asks Ash.
“If that’s all right with you and Lils.” Both boys look at me.
“My friend’s sleeping on the couch tonight,” I say.
Harry nods and picks up the dice. “I go first.”
Ash gives me a smile that reaches his eyes, the wound on his lip opening with the stretch. He mouths the words ‘thank you’.
I cover his hand and give it a squeeze. What else am I to do?
He’s my brother.
16
SHANE
“Sorry I’m a little late tonight,” she whispers while moving her hair from her ear to insert ear pods. “Can you hear me?”
I lean closer to the screen, my mask coming into view on the thumbnail that shows my camera. “Why are you whispering?”
“I have my nephew in the next room.” Her manicured nails scratch the cotton fabric of her moon and star pyjamas covering her legs. They’re not the sexy short ones she usually wears for me, but I’m glad to see she’s comfortable.
“Is everything all right?” I know she often babysits for him, so this isn’t new for me, but I’m trying to appear like I don’t know her nephew. Even though I’ve only seen him a few times, I feel like I know the kid after hearing about him over the years.
“My sister had a date tonight.”
“Oh.” It’s none of my business what Fern gets up to, hasn’t been for years so the mention of her on a date doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but it feels a little awkward talking about Fern with Lilly, so I change the subject. “What have you been doing today? Good day?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s been okay. I was off work so just did some grocery shopping, visited Mum at the home, then did some cleaning.”
“What home?” It’s laborious questioning everything that I already know the answers to, but if I can get her talking, maybe she’ll give me some clues why she started this gig.
“My mum has Alzheimer’s disease. She had a stroke some years back, and she's deteriorated ever since. We had to get her into a facility as my sister and I couldn’t be there with her twenty-four-seven and my brother wasn’t around.”
I can always tell when she’s putting on a brave face. She fidgets with her fingers and her eyes wander around the room as if trying to mask the sadness in them.
“You can talk to me if you need someone to talk to.” I slide my fingers down the screen, wishing I could hold her.
She gives me a genuine smile this time and mirrors my hand as her nails tap the screen like raindrops tapping at my windowpane. “You don’t want me to bore you with all my problems,” she whispers, her calming, lilting tone soothing my soul.
“Yes I do, nightingale.” I lower my voice into a gruff, demanding tone. “Get yourself comfortable on the bed and talk to me. That’s an order.”
She salutes me. “Yes, sir.”
“I could listen to your voice all night. You have that soothing tone. It’s like ASMR.” I huff out a laugh. “Even more so now you’re whispering.”
She takes the phone from the ring light holder and holds it in her hand while she climbs under the duvet. “Is this okay?” She turns out the light and places the phone in front of her face as if I’m lying on a pillow next to her.
“I wish I was there with you.”
