‘On a different note, I’m very much looking forward to seeing both your work,’ Opal admitted as they walked into the gallery.
‘I really couldn’t have done it without you.’ Ruby’s voice was low, and Opal felt sure that this comment was not meant for her ears.
‘Or you, love,’ Heather whispered back. Opal quickened her pace and made a beeline for Gareth.
‘Darling!’ Gareth greeted her with his now customary embrace. It seemed that sobriety had brought out his affectionate side. ‘I’ve just seen Johan’s portraits and as much as I hate to give it to the bastard, they are magnificent.’ Gareth held Opal back at arm’s length, as if to admire her. ‘Youare magnificent.’
‘It’s far too early in the day for this kind of sincerity, Gareth, darling.’ Opal was nervous at the prospect of the photos being in a public exhibition. Johan had written her a surprisingly thoughtful letter asking whether she was comfortable with them appearing in the show and she had been so touched that she hadn’t spent much time really thinking about the proposition. Now, as she had each time he had shown those photos, she felt a pang of regret for having agreed to it.
‘And where is the photographer in question?’ Opal scanned the room before her eyes fell on the back of his blonde head. He had walked over to stand between Ruby and Heather. Miraculously, they were all laughing heartily.
‘Yes, the kids seem to be getting on rather well these days,’ Gareth noted. ‘But on a more serious note, there’s someone downstairs in the office who really wants to speak to you. I hope you don’t mind that I invited her …’
It didn’t take long for Opal to put two and two together. ‘Debbie.’ It wasn’t a question but Gareth nodded his confirmation anyway.
Debbie was still wearing her coat, a turquoise bouclé number, and clutching her bag as Opal descended down the stairs, as though she was ready to flee at any moment.
‘Opal,’ she breathed, setting down the red leather handbag. ‘I’m so sorry. I really hope you don’t mind me coming today. I did ask Gareth and he seemed to think it would be fine but I didn’t want to ruin this special …’ Opal smiled. She had so missed her friend’s babbling.
‘Debbie,’ she interrupted, ‘I’m the one who should be saying sorry. It was selfish of me to keep the truth from you. In all honesty it didn’t even cross my mind, shamefully. I couldn’t then think about Agnes’s welfare, I was so wrapped up in myself, and I wanted you to be as well. How awful is that? I couldn’t bear you sharing your concern for me with concernfor your own daughter.’ Opal hadn’t really put it all together until that moment. But as she spoke the words she came to realise how true they were.
There had been a small part of her that knew Debbie’s care had to lie with her daughter first and Opal had resented that. For the lack of her own daughter to care for or maybe for the lack of a mother to care for her? It was hard to know exactly. But she knew one thing now, for sure: she needed Debbie back in her life.
‘Debbie, can you forgive me and can we be friends again? I miss you so.’
Debbie grinned. ‘Of course I can, and if you can forgive me too I would love that, to be friends again.’
‘There’s nothing to forgive, Debbie, but for the sake of it, yes of course.’ Opal laughed at her friend’s stubbornness, and they embraced.
‘Oh and I’m sure you’ve probably heard, but Agnes ended things with Martin,’ Debbie revealed.
‘I hadn’t heard, but good for her.’ Opal meant it.
Opal and Debbie walked back upstairs, arm in arm. Opal was so absorbed in being back in her friend’s company that she didn’t even notice the woman coming through the door. She wore a long indigo tunic over matching wide-legged raw silk trousers. Atop her head of peroxide blonde sat a silver turban. It was Debbie who noticed her first.
‘Goodness, the most glamorous-looking woman has just walked in …’
Opal had invited her mother on a whim, sending the invite off with little expectation that it would even arrive at the correct address, let alone be read and its instructions followed.
‘Where’s my darling daughter?’ Saffie’s voice boomed through the gallery, raspy with age and a lifetime of cigarette smoking. Opal hadn’t seen Saffie in person for a couple of years, and she was slightly taken aback to notice suddenly how similar her mother looked to this new version of herself. Maybe it was something about the way Opal wore her hair now, or the clothes she’d become fond of, but it struck her in that moment that the woman she had spent so much of her life defusing herself in opposition to was now something of a role model to her.
‘Mummy.’ Opal rushed towards her, arms outstretched. They had never been particularly tactile with each other. Opal had long assigned her mother the role of having kept their relationship at arm’s length. Now, though, as she buried her face in Saffie’s strongly scented neck, Opal wondered if she was partly to blame for their distance. ‘I’m so glad you came.’
‘I wouldn’t miss it. I’ve been waiting years for that invitation.’ Saffie’s voice was kind, but the sentiment made Opal sad.
‘Right you are, now that Martin’s out of the picture I think we have some lost time to catch up on.’
‘Indeed, now, why don’t you introduce me to all these gorgeous people,’ and Opal did just that. They worked their way around the room until Gareth called Opal over, and she left her mother speaking animatedly with Debbie.
Preparations had begun for the first performance and Gareth was checking his watch incessantly as Opal approached. ‘I have no idea where the boys are.’
‘Where are they coming from?’ Opal didn’t need to ask who he was referring to.
‘The house is only around the corner. They really have no excuse.’
Noah had moved into the house that Joshua had left Adam, along with half a dozen other young performance artists. From what Gareth had reported, they had been making a bit of a name for themselves, this collective, putting on impromptu shows in derelict industrial estates all over the city. Thanks to Noah’s talents they were fully immersive. Sight, sound and smell all accounted for.
As if summoned, both Noah and Adam walked through the door at that moment. ‘Finally!’ Gareth exclaimed, rushing over to them to explain that they were up first. A quick wave to Opal was all they had time for before they rushed downstairs to change.
