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Sighing, I head down to join them.
*****
The rain stops and Luke comes round, and the two boys go out with the scooter. And at last, I can tell Irene that I managed to confront Lois with the truth.
‘What did she say?’ Irene looks at me anxiously, twisting a paper hanky to shreds.
‘Nothing. But I think she was shocked. Just as I was. She went off to her room.’
Irene nods but says nothing.
And then Bertie runs in from the soggy front garden, asking for drinks and leaving a trail of muddy footprints. So I shoo him back out, promise to bring them some cordial and set to with the mop. In the end, Irene takes the drinks out. Then she sits on the front step in her coat, arms wrapped around her raised knees, watching their antics on the scooter with a tired smile.
I rinse out the mop, put on my own coat and join her on the step. ‘No trays on knees in front of the telly tonight. We’re going to have a proper meal at the table, okay?’
Irene nods. ‘Okay. What are we having?’
‘Burgers,’ shouts Bertie. ‘And skinny fries and tomato sauce.’
Irene laughs. ‘I swear you’ve got ears the size of dustbin lids, Bertie Bowes. Ooh, for goodness’ sake, be careful.’ She peers through her fingers as Bertie, scooting up the drive, bends his knees and jumps the scooter off the ground, then carries on coolly, coming to a neat stop by the garage door.
Smiling, I stand up, wondering if we’ve got the ingredients to satisfy Bertie’s request. And just before I step back into the house, I catch sight of Lois standing at her bedroom window, looking down, watching us.
I’m so hoping she’ll join us for burgers tonight.
But I won’t be holding my breath...
*****
Bertie and Irene help me in the kitchen, Bertie chattering away almost non-stop about things that have been happening at school. And my heart is full because I can see how much he’s loving having his mum there, joining in and showing him how to chop peppers.
I send him up to try and persuade Lois to come down and eat with us. ‘Tell her we’ve got her favourite strawberry cheesecake ice-cream for afters.’
‘Okay!’ He runs upstairs and we can hear him chatting away to Lois. Irene glances at me, her eyes flaring with a combination of fear and hope.
When Bertie comes back down without her, telling us that Lois wants to eat in her room, the disappointment on Irene’s face is almost too much to bear. She quickly excuses herself to go to the bathroom. ‘I just want to tidy my hair and put on a bit of blusher. Otherwise, I look like a corpse.’
‘What’s a corpse?’ Bertie wants to know, and while I’m explaining it to him, I’m straining to hear what’s going on upstairs. The kitchen door is wide open and I can hear voices. The blusher seems to have been an excuse.
Irene and Lois are talking...
Bertie and I serve up three burgers and chips, which Bertie transports one by one, ever so carefully, to the table, while I busy myself setting a tray for Lois.
‘Ooh, lovely,’ says Irene, coming in. ‘I’m so hungry, I could eat my arm all the way up to my elbow.’
Bertie hoots with laughter, thoroughly appreciating her black humour, and I turn, about to ask her how she got on with Lois.
But Lois is there.
‘Yay!’ Bertie runs over and high-fives her.
She grins at him. Then she turns and glares at Irene. ‘When will I get my jewellery back? I can’t bloody believe you pawned it to pay off... you know who.’ She glances quickly at Bertie.
‘Let’s not talk about this now, Lois,’ I say with fake cheerfulness. ‘It’s time to eat.’
‘I’m working on it,’ says Irene eagerly. ‘I’m saving up and I’m going to get it all back just as soon as I can.’
Lois folds her arms. ‘You’d better. Clara says it has to be done within six months or the shop can sell it without giving you first option of buying it back.’
