We exchanged phone numbers, and then he jogged off towards Yves.
I watched him for a moment, how he spoke to his boss and the way Yves’ demeanour changed as Felix talked to him. After five minutes, they were both laughing, and I couldn’t help smiling in their direction.
As I turned away, I caught Delphine’s eye. She was clearing a table of plates, balancing three of them on her arm. Her gaze flicked towards mine and I swear she rolled her eyes again. Whatever.
I walked back to the mobile home, where I could hear Rue shouting before I even went inside.
And I guessed what it would be about. Her splints.
Rue was mostly good about wearing them, but sometimes she just exploded about it, because sometimes they rubbed, or sometimes she didn’t want to be different to anyone else. And I understood, we all did. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a pain in the ass to deal with.
‘I’m not wearing them!’ Rue shouted and launched a splint across the tiny living room, nearly hitting me as I walked through the door.
‘Rue, love, you’ll be doing lots of walking, they help your legs.’ Mum pleaded with her while Dad picked up the splint and Wren just sat beside her, looking sad.
‘I don’t care,’ Rue said through tears.
This wasn’t how Rue worked. You couldn’t plead with her. You couldn’t show weakness. Rue responded to deals.
I sat down beside her.
‘What if I message Lexie to see if her boyfriend is setting up that disability football team at their club that she talked about?’ I asked. Rue idolized our cousin Lexie.
And I could tell by the way her breathing changed that I had her attention. Mum, Dad and Wren were silent. Waiting for another explosion.
Rue crossed her arms furiously. But didn’t say anything.
‘And something else. Those exercises you have to do every day before you get your operation?’ I felt queasy every time the operation came up. Not because I was squeamish – I just hated the thought of her having to go through it. The Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. When the doctors would cut some nerve roots in her spinal cord to try to help with her mobility.
Rue flashed her blue eyes at me.
‘You have to actually do them.Withoutcomplaining.’ I nudged her and she didn’t punch me back, so I knew I was getting somewhere. ‘Is it a deal?’
‘Only if you do it now,’ she said, her voice still shaking from all the crying.
‘Do what?’ I asked.
‘Message Lexie.’
‘Fine.’ I got out my phone and typed out a message to our cousin, before showing it to Rue, who nodded angrily.
‘Send,’ she said.
‘Sent,’ I confirmed, and stood up.
Mum took my spot. ‘You know, love, we only keep going on about these things to help you. We don’t do it to upset you. And hopefully, after your operation, everything will be a bit easier.’ Mum took Rue’s hand, and I watched as she didn’t snatch it away.
As I moved past Dad, he put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, ‘Thanks, Gogo.’
Then I left them to it. I went into my little bedroom, closed the door and took out the phone that had just buzzed in my pocket. My stomach lurched as I wondered if Ari or Theo had finally replied.
FELIX: I am looking forward to tomorrow already :)
ME: Me too x
And, just like that, the Ari and Theo rage disappeared. I looked at Felix’s message again and stretched out comfortably on my bed, smiling as I did. I scrolled through my WhatsApp messages and stopped on Priya’s name again.
ME: Hey … Long time no speak. I know it seems like totally out of the blue, and I know everything was all my fault. But I miss you P. Like really miss you. I’m on holiday, but would be great to catch up when I get home, you know, if you wanted to or whatever x
