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Lili left her suitcase on the floor by the door, still not convinced she was going to stay – there was always a hotel. She lay down, pulling the eiderdown around her. She’d closed her eyes just for a moment – or so she thought – when her mobile phone rang. When she opened her eyes, the room was bathed in soft morning sunshine. Lili hadn’t even changed out of her clothes before her head hit the pillow, and she had gone out like a light. She remembered dreaming that Connie had called her for dinner; perhaps that wasn’t a dream.
Lili sat up in bed and answered her phone. Her heart had leapt in her chest at the notion that it was Alex, aware her holiday had finished, phoning to see how she was, wanting to patch things up and apologise for his behaviour.
No such luck, thought Lili when she heard Ray’s voice. ‘Good morning, sweetheart, I hope I didn’t wake you.’
‘Um, no, not at all,’ Lili fibbed, wondering what the time was.
‘I have some news.’
‘News?’ Lili still felt tired and disorientated.
‘I’ve found your secret benefactor.’
It took Lili a moment to grasp what Ray had said. ‘Wait – what did you just say?’
‘I found the person who paid for you to go through school.’
‘That was quick,’ Lili replied. She fell silent. Part of her wished she hadn’t gone down that rabbit hole; she was afraid of what she might find; that it would lead to her family, but that they wouldn’t want to know her. Then she’d be back to square one, where she had always been, all alone – except that this time it would be all the worse for knowing her family were out there.
‘Lili?’
She sighed. ‘I’m still here.’
‘Are you all right? We’re all worried about you.’
‘You are?’ Lili was taken aback. She had assumed that once she’d gone, they’d forget about her. She hadn’t expected Ray to get in touch.
‘It’s true,’ Ray said down the phone. ‘You know, even Bella has been pining for you.’
‘Oh, don’t be daft – she’s a dog.’
‘Exactly, and a German shepherd. They get attached to one person. She’s off her food. You know how much she likes her meals. She’s missing you.’
Lili knew there was one person who wouldn’t be missing her.
As if reading her mind, Ray said, ‘Nate too.’
Lili doubted that. Ray was just being kind.
There was a long silence down the phone, heavy with regret on Lili’s part for not being honest with them all.
Ray returned to the matter at hand. ‘Look, if you’d rather not …’
She knew what he was going to say, but it was too late to back out now. ‘Tell me, Ray, who is it?’
‘Lili! Breakfast is on the table when you’re ready.’
Lili cast a glance towards the door. Connie must have heard her talking on her phone.
‘Who is that?’ Ray asked.
‘That’s Connie, my social worker. I’m staying with her at the moment. We’ve always been really close, like—’
‘Family.’
‘Yes.’ There was a long silence. ‘Ray, are you still there?’
‘Can we meet?’
