‘How would you know?’
‘Does she look happy to you?’
‘Hadn’t really thought about it.’
‘I’d keep her happy,’ Bub said, with a meaningful nod in case Nathan had failed to fully grasp his intent.
‘Yeah, all right. Never mind that –’ Gunfire rang out on screen. ‘Listen, can you –’ Nathan reached over and paused the game.
‘What’s your problem?’ Then Bub’s annoyance faded as quickly as it arrived. ‘Is something wrong? Is it about Cam?’
‘No. Well, yeah, kind of. I wanted to talk to you. It’s –’ Nathan faltered. ‘I saw you last night.’
‘What? When?’ Bub’s eyes flicked to the doorway where Katy had been and his cheeks reddened. Nathan wondered what he was thinking.
‘Outside in the garden,’ he prompted.
Bub frowned.
‘Taking a slash on the gravesites?’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Bub actually laughed. ‘So?’
‘So what do you think you were doing?’
‘It was only on Dad’s. Like you’ve never done it.’
Nathan hadn’t, in fact. Possibly because he had never thought of it. ‘Do you –?’
‘Do I what, mate?’
‘Do you do that often?’
‘Time to time, whenever I’m passing and can muster it up.’
‘But . . . why?’
‘Nate, mate. Come on.’ Bub turned back to his game, nothing more to say.
It might never have occurred to Nathan to piss on a grave, but he knew Bub maybe had a little more incentive. The key with Carl Bright that you had to learn quick and early was to stay out of his way whenever you could and keep your head well down the rest of the time. Bub, born late, had never got the hang of it. Being an accidental baby was hardly his fault, but it hadn’t helped his cause. Liz had never once hinted that Bub’s arrival hadn’t been entirely welcome, twelve and ten years after his brothers, but Carl hadn’t bothered to hide it.
It might not have been so bad if Bub had followed Nathan, rather than Cameron, who Carl seemed to find the least offensive by some margin. But Bub’s slowness and his difficulty finding the right words had infuriated their dad. And Bub was completely unable to sense when it was happening. Nathan had tried to help him, showing him the signs to watch out for and growing frustrated himself when Bub didn’t get it. Cam had tried too, but it was no good. Bub literally couldn’t see it to save himself.
Nathan looked at Bub now, older but still the same in some ways. ‘Look, Dad’s grave is one thing, but Cam’s going to be there too, you know.’
‘He’s not there yet, though.’ Bub had restarted the game and his eyes were glued to the screen. ‘Anyway, I wouldn’t do that to Cam, would I?’
‘I don’t know,’ Nathan said, and Bub looked up sharply.
‘Me and Cam got along fine, thanks. Better than you two did.’
Nathan opened his mouth but was saved by a call from the kitchen. Dinner was ready.
‘You’ll kill the tree if you keep on doing that,’ he muttered as they went through, but Bub shrugged.
‘Like I give a shit. It’s just a tree.’
The atmosphere around the kitchen table already felt subdued. Ilse turned to Nathan as he sat down next to Xander.
