Page 67 of Serenity Falls

I hold my hands up. ‘I’m sorry. I was just looking.’

She draws closer. Her face is tanned and heavily lined. Thick black kohl is smudged around her eyes. Lipstick has melted into the creases around her mouth. She squints at me suspiciously. ‘What are you doing here? You keep your hands off him. He’s just a little …’ And then she falters. Her eyes cloud. ‘You’re not him, are you?’

I’m not sure who him is, but I’m pretty sure I’m not.

‘I’m Dan.’ I try to smile reassuringly. ‘I was just talking to your daughter.’

Her eyes widen. ‘My daughter. You’ve seen her?’

‘Well, yes. She invited me in for some lemonade.’

She smiles, revealing startlingly white teeth in the crinkled face. ‘She’s back. I always knew she’d come back. Did she find him? Did she find Davey?’

I stare at her in confusion. Davey? And then I spy Hailey walking out, her son clasped in her arms.

When she sees us, her lips thin. She adjusts Brandon on her hip and hurries over.

‘Aunt May. What are you doing out here? I thought you were watching TV.’

The older woman turns. ‘You’re back. Oh, I always knew you’d come back.’ She clasps Hailey’s face. Then her eyes fall on the boy. ‘And you found him. You found Davey.’

Hailey grimaces. ‘No, Aunt May. It’s me, Hailey. Remember?’

The smile falters. ‘Hailey?’

‘Your niece. And this is Brandon. Remember him?’

She shakes her head. ‘No. This is Davey. Little Davey Junior.’

The little boy looks up at Hailey. ‘Mommy, Aunt May has forgotten my name again.’

‘It’s okay, hun. She just gets a little confused sometimes.’

Hailey looks back at the older woman. ‘Why don’t you take Bra— Davey to get an ice pop out of the freezer?’

‘Oh yes. Shall we do that, Davey?’ May holds out her hand to the little boy. He glances at Hailey. She gives a small nod. ‘Go on. It’s fine.’

The pair walk back across the yard and disappear inside.

Hailey folds her arms and looks at me. ‘My aunt May. We live here with her. She helps with Brandon, or, at least, she used to. Now I’m not sure who is looking after who.’

‘I’m sorry. I thought she was your mother.’

‘No. May is my mom’s older sister. Mom and Dad, and my brother, Pete, died in a car accident when I was small.’ She swallows. ‘They were driving to Winsom Wonderland. I was ill with chicken pox so my aunt and uncle were looking after me at home.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ I say.

She nods. ‘After the accident, Aunt May and Uncle Dave took me in. Dave died a few years before Brandon was born. Now it’s just me and May.’

I look towards the house. ‘Dementia?’

‘Yeah. She mixes people up. Dates, years. Sometimes you can tell her. Others it’s easier to just go along.’

‘Sometimes it’s kinder.’

‘I often wonder if it’s a good idea staying here with Brandon. We remind her too much of Serena and Davey Junior. But … neither of us has got anyone else.’

I frown, something stirring in my memory. ‘Serena and Davey Junior?’