‘You’re listening, Dad,’ Quinn said.
When Gerald had been alive, a Reliant Robin was a staple piece in the town. Shining red, it would always be parked outside of Gerald’s bookshop, drawing stares of admiration from locals and tourists. Quinn remembered as a child clambering in the odd-shaped car and feeling like he was in a spaceship.
Robins always reminded him of his dad.
‘Anyway, back to that romantic novelist. I think you would have liked him. His books are fantastic. They sweep me up in ways other romance books can’t do. Something about his writing speaks to me, you know?’ The robin hopped. ‘No, it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s fit.’
The robin cocked its head, the twig shifting.
‘What else is there to tell you?’
The robin fluttered its wings, and Quinn feared it would fly away, breaking the connection Quinn had, or at least thought he had, with the red-breasted bird.
Instead, the bird fixed him with a stare, the way it always seemed to do whenever Quinn visited the graveyard between Hay and the neighbouring valley of Cusop Dingle.
‘Shop is going okay,’ Quinn said, because telling the truth to his dead father was out of the question. ‘I’ve got someone helping me out now. Always feel like I’ve made it if I have an extra pair of hands to help me. Like my business is growing, you know? His name is Daniel Craig.’
The bird hopped, and Quinn laughed.
‘I know. Unfortunately, he looks nothing like Bond. He’s straight, too, before you get any ideas. Not bad-looking, but you know. Straight. I had my apprehensions about bringing a straight guy into the fold. Not that there’s anything wrong with straight guys, Dad.’ Quinn cleared his throat. ‘As far as I know, you were one yourself. No, it’s just that the bookshop has this safe feeling to it. A place where people can speak openly if they want to, and without fear of any sort of judgement. Hard to do when someone is straight and you’ve been told you’re wrong all your life by, well, straight people.’
The robin fluttered to the roses, inspecting them. Quinn fought back tears. This was a robin. Only a robin. But he couldn’t help but let his imagination run away with him that this was a sign from his father, and that the robin would go back to wherever his father was and tell him all about the beautiful roses.
‘I guess you can call him an ally. He’s quite interested in reading about sexuality and the like.’
The robin flew up and away, disappearing into the murky grey landscape.
Quinn sighed, smiling.
‘Maybe I’m boring you,’ he said, getting back to his feet. ‘I’ll be back soon. Miss you. Love you.’
For a moment, he didn’t want to go away. The world waited for him out there, and he didn’t know that he could face it at this moment. But the trousers weren’t protecting his legs, and his feet had turned to ice. He trudged away from the yew tree, from his dad and the roses, and walked back towards the village of Hay.
It was then that he saw someone standing in the otherwise deserted graveyard. Quinn could only make out the side profile of a man close to the only entrance. Quinn needed to bypass him to get out and get back to his shop before closing. He had little time, but there was no way he could go any further.
It was also impossible that the man stood staring at another grave was Noah Sage.
No, his eyes were playing tricks on him. A cruel trick of the winter light.
Quinn took the path, averting his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t have to see the figure.
But as he got closer, his footsteps trudging through the snow, the person turned to see who approached.
ItwasNoah Sage.
Of all places, why would Noah Sage be here, in this graveyard? The only two people surrounded by departed souls. Or at least, the bodies that once housed them.
‘Hippie guy,’ Noah said, taking in his parachute trousers, and Quinn wanted to dig his own grave and get in it. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’
Why was he speaking to him like that? Like they were friends? Familiar? This felt like he’d fallen and bumped his head, and now he was hallucinating.
‘Cat got your tongue?’
Balls. ‘You’re Noah Sage.’
Great. That will do. State the obvious and wonder why Noah stepped away from him. Because now he looked like one of those fans that wanted Noah desperately. Which he did, but not in the way those fans wanted him.
Well, maybe like Deb and June wanted him.
