Billy nodded. "Most likely, it's exhausting. Looks a whole lot easier when watching than when you're doing it."
"It's never interested me. I'd most likely break my neck." Rosa chuckled quietly.
"Oh, I dunno, you always had good coordination on the dance floor."
Rosa turned to face her. "Only when I've had one too many vodkas."
"Uh huh…is that what the reason was? ‘Shape-shifter Rosa’, they used to call you."
"Who did?"
"Everyone. The minute we'd get to the club, you'd be off, throwing yourself around the dance floor like you were Madonna's favourite backing dancer."
Rosa laughed. "I did not."
Billy's grin grew wider. "You did."
"Those were fun days." Rosa sighed. "I hope Imogen has that with her friends, you know? I want that for them. Somewhere safe, but fun to hang out, dance, laugh, fall in love—" She stopped herself, amending, "At some point. She's too young right now."
"She's the age we were when we met," Billy reminded her.
"Yes. And look how that turned out." Rosa nudged her.
"It wasn't all bad."
"No, it wasn't," Rosa said. She pulled her feet in when the older couple stood and moved past them to exit.
The space opened up beside them, but Billy didn't move, and Rosa didn't ask her to.
"We were just too young, weren't we?" Rosa said.
Billy nodded. "Maybe."
Chapter thirteen
Imogen, Robbie, and Janka sat at a table waiting for them. Carl was also having a lunch break and Meredith still hadn't returned.
"What makes you think they want to get back together, though?" Janka asked.
Robbie poured water from the jug into their glasses.
Imogen sat back, a knowing smile on her face. "I have vague memories of Billy being around when I was really little…so vague, I used to think I'd made her up, but I knew I hadn’t because Mum always talked about her. She'd say, ‘Your other mum loves you so much, but she's having a hard time right now so she can’t be with us.’" She looked at each of her friends in turn. "Withus. Not withyou, always withus."
Robbie shrugged. "Okay, but maybe that was just her way of explaining it to a small kid."
Imogen nodded. "Maybe… But then as I got older and started to question who my dad was and where was this other mum I had, Mum would always tell me the truth. She softened it, but itwas honest. She'd say, ’Sometimes grown-ups can feel too much going on at once, and that pressure means they can't be who we need them to be, and they have to go away to fix themselves so they can come back…when they're ready.’"
"Right, and she did come back, but they didn't get back together," Janka added.
"Yeah, because Billy had met someone else," Imogen said, "and for a long time, I just thought that was how it was…but when I started to be allowed to spend time with Billy, she'd always want to talk about Mum and howshewas doing. The new girlfriends never lasted more than a few months. And then I'd get home and Mum would ask, 'How's Billy doing? Is she well?' At first, I just put it down to being curious, but it's been years and they're still doing it."
"So, why don't they just get together again?" Janka asked.
"Honestly, I think Mum is scared to get hurt again, and Billy is scared she'll get rejected. Right now, they have each other in a weird way because of me…but I'm sixteen in two days, I'll soon be off to uni and then my own life, and they won't have the excuse to speak to each other much." Imogen's shoulders dropped as she sighed. "And life is too short to have found your person and not be with them for as much of it as you can be."
Robbie nudged her arm. "Heads up." Her chin jutted towards the other side of the room where Billy and Rosa were walking in, side by side, Rosa laughing at something Billy said.
Imogen leaned in, whispering, "Tell me that's not love." She then called out, "Mums!"
