Page 44 of Serenity Falls

‘That’s sad.’

‘I can’t believe his mum would just forget him.’

‘We don’t know the reasons people do things. Maybe she had a breakdown. Maybe she had mental health problems. Maybe—’

‘—she’s dead.’

‘Maybe,’ I say gently, and I don’t think we’re talking about Davey’s mum any more.

We stare at the pool. I drink some more beer. It burns my throat.

‘Do you ever think that’s why Mum—’

‘Sometimes.’ I shake my head. ‘I don’t know. Your mum, she had a lot of problems. We had problems. But she loved you very much.’

‘Then why didn’t she ever call or send a text or a letter or anything after she left?’

‘Maybe she couldn’t. Maybe it was just too hard. Maybe she loved you too much to mess with your life.’

Sadie nods. I see her blink a few times. She sips her Diet Coke. I let it settle. This wound is old. But it’s still raw. And sometimes, Sadie can’t help but pick at it. I understand. She’s got me. But I can never replace her mum. Your mum is the most important person in your life. For her to leave, and for Sadie not to know why … That’s hard. I’ve always tried to compensate. To answer her questions. But I still can’t give her the answers she needs. I wish I could.

‘And what about your life?’ she asks now.

‘My life?’ I hold out my arms. ‘Not looking too shabby.’

‘How did your tour with Lockhart go?’

‘Well, I almost became gator feed trying to rescue a kid in the lake.’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘I thought you smelt a bit rank.’

‘Thanks.’

‘What happened?’

‘Actually, it’s not that dramatic. I thought a kid had gone in the water, started to wade in, got humiliatingly dragged out by some much younger, fitter guys, only to find the kid didn’t go in the water after all.’

‘Wow. I hope his mum thanked you.’

‘She did. She invited me for cookies and lemonade.’

Sadie’s eyebrows shoot up. ‘I see. And what’s his mum like?’

‘Young,’ I emphasize. ‘Way too young for a sad old man like me.’

Sadie side-eyes me. ‘You’re not that old. You are a bit sad.’

‘Thanks.’ I swill the beer around in the can. ‘Plus, I’ve got too much going on right now to think about a relationship.’

‘Right. And you’ve had that going on for, what, ten years now?’

‘I’ve had relationships.’

‘That last longer than a month? That you brought to our house?’

‘I’ve had you to think of.’

She sighs. ‘Just don’t write it off, Dad. You’re not totally hideous. I mean, your manners suck and your jokes are terrible, but there must be some woman out there who’s desperate enough to settle.’