‘It’s just starting to throb a bit as the anaesthetic wears off. How’s yours?’
‘Average. I still can’t believe how much pain one small cat can inflict. But at least I didn’t get an enforced hospital stay. How long are you in for?’
‘They want to observe me for a while and keep cleaning the wound, but I think I’ve negotiated them down to two more nights.’
‘Wow,’ Georgie repeated.
‘I know.’
‘Okay, so I also brought—’ she rummaged in her bag ‘—Bananagrams.’
‘What?’ Raf stared at the yellow bag she’d brought out.
‘It’s a word game. I thought you’d be bored.’
It was Raf’s turn to say, ‘Wow.’
‘You look unimpressed but you’ll be grateful. I made Max play it with me when I realised that he was developing a bit of a Minecraft addiction and he got really into it, and he isnota word game boy. And right now you’re watching darts and—’ she peered at the TV ‘—it isn’t evenlive.’
‘It’s from three years ago. Ahugematch, though.’
‘Sounds incredibly exciting.’ Georgie accompanied her sarcasm with a big eyebrow raise.
‘Yeah, no. Okay. Let’s do this. Tell me the Bananagram rules. I’m just going to say now that ifI lose it will beentirelybecause of my post-anaesthetic state, not because I am very bad at word games.’
‘Okay,’ said Georgie about forty minutes later. ‘Thatvery bad at word gamesthing was a total lie.’
‘I know.’ Raf beamed at her and she laughed. ‘That was surprisingly fun.’
‘Exactly. It’ssomuch better than watching a screen.’ Especially if you got to play with someone who made you laugh as much as Raf did. She looked at her watch. ‘One more round?’
‘I think I can squeeze that in around my three-years-out-of-date-darts-watching.’
They were a few minutes into the next round when a woman spoke from behind Georgie.
‘Hello Rafael. Sorry to interrupt. I’m relieved to see you looking very well. I brought you some of your favourite food.’ She stepped forward and dropped a kiss on his forehead.
‘Mum.’ Raf smiled at her.
There was something very endearing about a small woman treating her large, well-into-his-thirties son like a small boy.
‘Let me introduce you,’ Raf said. ‘This is Georgie, a friend of Noah’s from Melting. She’s the one who also got bitten. And this is my mum, Manuela.’
‘Oh, yes, I can see from the bandages. Are you alright?’ Manuela had a very charming Spanish accent and lovely warm eyes, dark like her son’s.
‘Yes, thank you. Raf’s injury was much worse. I should get going.’ Georgie began to gather the game up.
‘Oh, no, please don’t let me interrupt you.’ Manuela sat down on the chair on the other side of the bed. ‘We could all play.’
‘Okay, now you’re freaking me out,’ Raf said. ‘You hate games like this. I am honestlyfine.’
‘I’d love to play with you both,’ his mum said, laughing.
‘I really do need to get going. I should get back to my son.’ Georgie stood up. ‘It was lovely to meet you.’
‘Oh.’ A tiny frown creased Manuela’s otherwise perfect brow. ‘How old is he? Is your husband looking after him at the moment?’
Georgie laughed as Raf shook his head. ‘He’s eleven,’ she said, ‘and I’m a single mum. He’s with a friend.’
