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‘You’re going to work for Will’s dad?’

‘Well, he said they have to do a h the proper procedures and all, but he said he couldn’t think of any reason why I shouldn’t get it’

‘That – that’s great,’ I said I felt weirdly unbalanced by the news ‘I didn’t even know there was a job going’

‘Nor h He’s a reen oak, and he showed me some of the work done by the previousHe said he was very impressed by my work’

He was animated, more so than I had seen hi lipstick, and her good pair of heels ‘There’s a van He gets his own van And the pay is good, Lou It’s even a bitat the furniture factory’

She was looking up at hi hero Her face, when she turned to me, told es, my mother’s face, and this one told reat, Dad Really’ I stepped forward and gave hi

‘Well, it’s really Will you should thank What a sht of me’

I listened to the in the hall mirror, Dad’s repeated reassurances that she looked lovely, that she was just fine as she was I heard hie, followed by a brief burst of laughter And then the door sla away and then there was just the distant sound of the television in Granddad’s room I sat on the stairs And then I pulled outWill’s nu to the hands-free device, depressing the button with his thu?’

There was a brief pause ‘Is that you, Clark?’

‘Did you get my dad a job?’

He sounded a little breathless I wondered, absently, whether he was sitting up okay

‘I thought you’d be pleased’

‘I am pleased It’s just … I don’t know I feel weird’

‘You shouldn’t do Your dad needed a job Mine needed a skilled maintenance man’

‘Really?’ I couldn’t keep the scepticis to do hat you asked me the other day? About hi pause I could see hih the French s

His voice, when it caiving yours a job?’

Put like that it did sound far-fetched

I sat down again ‘Sorry I don’t know It’s just weird The ti It’s all a bit convenient’

‘Then be pleased, Clark It’s good news Your dad will be great And it means … ’ He hesitated

‘It o off and spread your wings without worrying about how your parents are going to be able to support themselves’

It was as if he had punched s

‘Lou?’

‘Yes?’

‘You’re awfully quiet’

‘I’ Granddad’s callinga word in for hie lued itself so else

I walked to the pub The air was thick with the smell of blossom, and people sle greeting in return I just knew I couldn’t stay in that house, alone with arden, their two tables pushed together in a dappled corner, arot a few polite nods (none fro a small space for me beside hiarden was full, with that peculiarly Englishstudents and post-work salesmen in their shirtsleeves This pub was a favourite with tourists, and alish voices were a variety of other accents – Italian, French, American From the all they could see the castle, and – just as they did every suraphs with it behind the you Do you want a drink?’

‘In a ainst Patrick I wanted to feel like I used to feel – normal, untroubled I wanted not to think about death

‘I broke my best time today Fifteen as now, eh, Pat?’ someone said

Patrick bunched both his fists and reat Really’ I tried to look pleased for him

I had a drink, and then another I listened to their talk ofbouts I tuned out, and watched the other people in the pub, wondering about their lives Each of thee events in their own fareat joys and tragedies If they could put it into perspective, if they could just enjoy a sunny evening in a pub garden, then surely I should too

And then I told Patrick about Dad’s job His face looked a little like I iine mine had I had to repeat it, just so he could be sure he had heardfor him’

I wanted to tell him then, I really did I wanted to explain that sowas tied up in my battle to keep Will alive I wanted to tell hi to buy ht as well get the rest of it over while I could

‘U He says I can stay there when I want, in the spare rooet past the whole bed proble to live at his house?’