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Dinner at her parents’ house had been quiet. Flora had called ahead, telling them she was coming with something for them all to eat. Kate had protested, saying she had something in the freezer, but Flora had insisted.
‘Please, Mum. Just let me do this for you.’
Her father had answered the door. They’d hugged. ‘You OK, Dad?’
He’d nodded, then gestured to the bags Flora was carrying. ‘Let me take those.’
She smiled. ‘Thank you.’
‘Hey, Mum, how are you?’ Flora crossed the room and hugged her mother.
‘Well, just glad that’s over, to be honest.’ Kate sighed.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t come.’
Kate passed her a glass of wine. ‘You had your reasons to not want to be there.’
There was a pause. Flora was about to fill it when her mother continued.
‘So, what did you do today?’ Kate put some plates on the table.
‘I went to the beach.’ Flora wanted to tell her she’d cried until her eyes hurt.
‘That sounds nice. More for you, Robin?’ Kate proffered the bottle across the table to her husband. ‘Actually, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go and have a bath. I am feeling absolutely exhausted. I’m sorry, Flora, I know you’ve brought food but I don’t think I could eat a thing.’
Flora went to protest but her mother was already on her way out of the room. She turned just before she left. ‘Come up and see me before you go to bed, Flora.’
‘I will.’ Flora waited until she heard her mother’s footsteps disappear up the stairs. ‘Dad, what’s going on?’
‘What do you mean, darling?’ Her father busied himself getting cutlery out of the drawer.
‘Oh, come on, Dad.’ Flora couldn’t help but laugh.
Robin stood up and went to the kitchen dresser. He picked up the whisky bottle. ‘Fancy one of these instead?’
Flora nodded. Robin poured out two measures of whisky into tumblers and handed one to Flora.
‘Thank you.’ She brought the glass to her nose and sniffed it gently, the smell of smoke and sea filling her nose. ‘Dad, please talk to me. I don’t understand what’s going on.’
‘I’m not sure I do either. I have ended my relationship with… her.’
‘Who?’ Flora wanted her father to spell it out to her. It might be over, but she wanted him to squirm at least a little.
‘You know who. Ally.’
‘How long?’
‘Flora, please…’
‘I said, how long?’
‘About five years.’ He looked at his glass, unable to meet his daughter’s eyes.
‘Why, Dad?’ Flora hissed at him.
‘I don’t know, Flora. I know that’s not good enough, but I honestly don’t know. If I could go back and change it, I would. It was a really, really stupid thing to do.’
