“Well,” she announced softly into the silence. “You’re prettier than Reap said.”
I blinked in surprise.
“Mamma Dot,” Indie warned tiredly.
“What?” she frowned. “Girl’s been saving lives all bloody night. She deserves a compliment.”
I smiled. Just slightly. Mamma Dot marched straight past all of us to Magnet’s bedside, tutting under her breath as she adjusted his blanket like she was tucking a child into bed. If she’d pulled out a book next, it wouldn’t have surprised me.
“Men,” she muttered. “Always making work for women.”
Suzy let out the smallest, broken laugh at that, instantly dissolving into tears again. Emmie wrapped an arm around her shoulders immediately.
“He’s gonna wake up, pet,” Mamma Dot soothed gently. “And when he does, we’ll remind him he owes Sophie flowers and chocolates for all this fuss.”
My chest tightened unexpectedly at how naturally they folded me into the conversation. Like I already belonged somewhere near the edges of their world.
Dangerous thought. Very dangerous.
Mamma Dot turned back towards me then, studying me openly. Not hostile, just assessing.
“You’ve brought that spark back into our lad’s eyes.”
Heat crept unexpectedly into my face. “I don’t know about that.”
“Oh, I do,” she dismissed easily. “That boy’s walked around like a ghost for years. Then suddenly he’s wearing new clothes and eating properly again and actually answering his bloody phone.”
“Mamma Dot,” Indie sighed.
“What? I’m old, not blind.” Her eyes flicked back to me, softening slightly. “He always loved you, pet.”
The words landed harder than they should have. I looked away first, my gaze falling back to Magnet’s monitors. Steady beeping. Artificial breathing. Safe things. Easier things.
“My father would disagree with you.”
It slipped out. The thought that had formed in my head, let loose like I was being interrogated. The room quietened slightly at that. Not awkward exactly. More careful.
Mamma Dot snorted softly. “Your dad always saw what he wanted to see.”
My stomach tightened.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Indie shifted slightly then, subtle but noticeable. Watching Mamma Dot now. Measuring her words before she spoke them. But the older woman just shrugged.
“Only that Reap was a good lad before all that trouble. Loyal. Bit wild maybe, but what young lad isn’t?” Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “And some people around you were very motivated to make sure he stayed away from you.”
I stared at her. Not quite understanding. Or maybe understanding too much. Indie shot Mamma Dot a warning look, but the older woman waved it off dismissively.
“I’m not saying your father planted evidence or hired hitmen, pet,” she muttered. “Just saying the police were very interested in Reap very quickly back then. It was all a little too convenient. And the sentence? What you’d expect, but Reap never did get out on good behaviour like anyone else would.”
My chest tightened sharply. Ryan’s face flashed through my head. His nightmares. The scars hidden beneath tattoos. The quiet way he’d saidI was just a kid.Indie stepped in smoothly before the silence could sharpen further.
“Mamma Dot also thinks Elvis works at Greggs.”
She gasped. “That man has the exact same hips.”
And just like that, the tension cracked enough for Suzy to laugh wetly through her tears again. Even I smiled despite the storm now building quietly inside my chest. But the seed had already been planted. And judging by the look Indie gave me across the room, he knew it too.
