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‘It’s not my birthday just yet.’
‘I thought you might need it now,’ said Leila. Minnie unwrapped the paper to find a delicate silver necklace with a four-leaf-clover pendant. ‘To counteract any bad luck,’ Leila explained.
‘I love it, Leila, thank you!’ Minnie cried, flinging her arms around her friend.
‘It’s a nice idea, but it might take more than jewellery, Leila,’ said Minnie’s mother.
‘Oh, Mrs C, since you’re here, I’ve got to ask you now – where do you want to be this time next year?’ said Leila.
‘Excuse me?’
‘She asks everyone at New Year,’ Minnie shrugged.
Minnie’s mum shook her head, then looked pensive. ‘If I’m no worse off than I am now, I’ll be happy,’ she said.
‘Oh Mrs C, you’ve got to dream a little bigger!’ said Leila, spinning around on the spot.
‘Dreams are for sleep, Leila,’ she said, tapping Leila on the head with a bag of spaghetti.
Minnie and Leila settled back down to watch the end of their film. Once Minnie’s mother had finished in the kitchen, she came through to the lounge. Minnie and Leila were both in tears at the ending.
‘What are you two blubbing about?’ she asked.
‘Oh, it’s so romantic, Mrs C. He gives up life on land to be with the love of his life underwater,’ said Leila, her face streaming with tears. She reached out to take a tissue from the side table.
‘Honestly, you lot and your romantic notions,’ tutted her mother. She picked up the pile of DVDs they’d lined up and started shaking her head as she looked through the titles. ‘Fairy tales and mermaids and prostitutes made good; I tell you, all these films are filling your heads with rot. You’reonly going to be disappointed when you see what’s out there in the real world.’
‘Not a romantic then, Mrs C?’ said Leila. ‘Come on, why don’t you watchThe Princess Bridewith us? You might like it.’
‘I’d rather gnaw off my own feet, Leila.’ Minnie’s mother started clearing up around the girls as she talked, plumping cushions and picking up empty popcorn packets. ‘I tell you, what matters is a man who’ll work hard and who’ll stick around, a man who’ll never lay a hand on you in anger, and a man who won’t drink away his wages.’ She leant over and pulled the bottle of wine from the folds of the couch. ‘Buy your own bleeding wine, Minnie! Right, I’m going to find your father before he starts buying rounds for the whole pub again.’
She paused, hovering over Minnie. Her face softened. She reached out to touch Minnie’s hair, pushing it back behind Minnie’s ears in an uncharacteristic tactile gesture.
‘I guess you’ll be a grown-up when I see you next.’
‘Have fun, Mum,’ said Minnie, reaching up to squeeze her mother’s hands.
She moved Minnie’s hand back to the sofa and made a noncommittal ‘hmmm’ sound, before heading for the door.
Leila snuggled up next to Minnie on the couch.
‘Your mum’s funny,’ Leila said through a yawn, dropping her head onto Minnie’s shoulder. ‘You think she really feels like that about love and stuff?’
‘I dunno,’ said Minnie, ‘she’s married to my dad, he’s hardly your typical romantic hero, is he?’
They both giggled.
As they were weighing up what to watch next, Minnie’s phone began to ring. It was an unknown number.
‘Hello?’ she said cautiously.
‘Is that Minnie?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s Tony. From school.’
Tony Grinton, she recognised his voice. He was one of the popular boys in their year.
