The man started. ‘Oh!’ he said. The sun flashed in his glasses. ‘So you’re telling me our staff could learn something from a bunch of out-of-work actors?’
Reuben, standing with the main group, turned round.
‘That’s precisely what I’m not saying,’ I said. I had him eye to eye as if we were in some kind of duel. What was Idoing? ‘All I’m saying – as you’d know, if you had actually listened – is that feedback from medical professionals is resoundingly positive. But these professionals have had some level of humility.’
‘Mrs Mackey. Did you just say what I think you did?’
Reuben joined us very quickly. ‘Can I help with anything?’ he asked.
‘I don’t think so,’ the man said. ‘Your business partner was just telling me that my care staff could learn a thing or two from your clowns. Including humility, if you can believe it. So I’m just taking a moment to let that one sink in.’
‘Mr Schreuder—’ Reuben began, but he was cut off.
‘I have a team to manage,’ Pebble Glasses said. ‘Good day.’
The bird above him took off and flew down the street. I watched, wishing I could go with it.
‘What the hell is going on?’ Reuben demanded, as soon as we got into the taxi.
‘Sorry.’
‘Sorry?’Reuben was furious. ‘You might have just cost us that entire contract. Which would be fine, Sarah, if it were just about us, or money, but it’s not. It’s about Ruth. And allthe other kids in there, and the four other hospices they own.’
From the front of the taxi I could hear snatches of a Latin American voice andcumbiamusic. I took a few slow breaths. If I were Reuben, I’d be furious, too.
‘For chrissakes, Sarah!’ Reuben exploded. ‘What’sup?’
The taxi driver had finished his phone call and was listening to us with interest. He didn’t get a great deal of satisfaction, however, because I had nothing to say.
After a long pause Reuben spoke. ‘Is it about me and Kaia?’ he asked. He was staring fixedly at the spread of traffic on the other side of the highway. ‘Because if it is, we really need to talk it out. I—’
‘It’s not about Kaia,’ I said. ‘Although if I’m honest, I think she needs to back off.’
‘Then what? You’ve been off-key a while. Sarah, we were married seventeen years,’ Reuben said. ‘I still know you.’
‘No, you don’t.’
A mother and her two kids crossed the road ahead of us at the lights. One of them was kicking his legs in a pushchair; his sister was dancing ahead of them with a shiny little party trumpet, toot-toot-tooting for all she was worth. Hannah had had one of those. Sometimes she’d blast it in my ear if she woke up before me, and I’d scream my head off. And she would be in hysterics, running around with her trumpet, hooting and tooting and laughing.
As the lights changed and we pulled forward, I realized I was crying.
I stood in the dirt-flecked window of the gate later on, watching planes taxi through an evening the colour of rust. My mobile phone rang out three times before I realized it was mine.
‘Jenni?’
‘Oh, Sarah, I’m glad you picked up.’
‘Are you OK?’
‘Pass. But look, the strangest thing happened just now.’
I waited.
Reuben waved at me. The last few passengers were disappearing out of the gate area.
‘I just saw Eddie, Sarah. In our building.’
‘Sarah!’ Reuben called. ‘Come on!’
