AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Kayla stop worrying. It’s nothing to do with your treatment okay. Please don’t get that idea.’
‘What then?’
Mam takes a deep breath and tuts as if she’s super deep in thought or really weirded out or something. She’s not normally like this.
‘We kind of kissed a few weeks back,’ Mam whispers, as if it’s a naughty secret.
‘No way. Oh my God. Nooooo way.’ My eyes widen and I’m more awake than I have been in days. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? And what did you do?’
‘It was the day after the scare over your kidney infection, and it was a total accident of course. It’s been so awkward since,’ Mam says, looking mortified.
‘What? How?’ I jerk upright.Oh my god my spine is on fire.I try not to react. If Mam notices she’ll morph into panic-mam mode and we’ll never get to talk about this. ‘How the hell can you kiss someone by accident?’
‘Kayla. Language,’ Mam scolds.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘But, seriously, Mam, you’re so bad at this. Who said it was an accident? Him or you?’
‘It. Was. An. Accident, Kayla. We just kind of bumped into each other with our lips.’
I laugh. Mam sounds as helpless as some of the girls in my year when they like a boy and just don’t know what to do about it.
‘Yeah, yeah. I know how that sounds,’ Mam says, and I wonder if she knows her cheeks are bright red. ‘But it was so awkward and…’
‘And… what did you say?’
‘Nothing. I just sort of left,’ Mam says.
‘Oh, Mam. What must he have thought?’ I shake my head, super disappointed that she blew it.
Mam runs a hand through her hair and I can see her playing the kiss over in her mind. ‘I doubt he cared, to be honest.’
‘I’m pretty sure he did. He asks about you all the time.How’s your mam doin?’ I mimic his deep voice. ‘I had one of your mam’s cookies today, it was great. Is your mam coming in todayand on… and on… and on…’
Mam shakes her head and there’s a new sadness in her eyes. It’s not the sadness I’m used to seeing when she notices I’m in pain or when we get more bad news.
‘You know he’s going to think you don’t like him now,’ I say.
‘So?’ Mam shrugs, acting more like a teenager than me.
‘So…’ I say. ‘You do like him. You’re always going on about him. Nearly as much as he goes on about you. You’re always saying how great he is.’
‘A great doctor,’ Mam says. ‘But he’s taken, Kayla.’
‘What?’ I say and my voice is starting to crackle, I hope she doesn’t notice.
‘He’s married, Kay,’ Mam says, standing up to pace the floor with her hands on her hips. ‘Or, he has a girlfriend at least.’
I lick my chapped lips and I’m about to explain but Mam keeps talking.
‘They’re expecting a baby together,’ she says.
‘He’s not having a baby!’ I puff out.
Mam reaches for the glass of water on my bedside table and chugs the entire thing. She slams it back down with unnecessary force and I’m surprised it doesn’t break.
‘Ugh, God. That was warm,’ Mam complains.
‘Welcome to my world,’ I say, ‘and you’re always trying to get me to drink more.’
