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‘How’s Karoline? Is she all right?’ asked Roberta, for once managing not to imbue the name with venom.
‘Yeah she’s… she’s okay.’
‘You don’t sound very sure,’ said Roberta, having one of her moments of astuteness. ‘Is she or isn’t she?’
‘Well, she’s off work at the moment for… a coupleof… weeks.’ He pulled his ear lobe absently and Shay remembered how he used to do that as a little boy, when he was nervous.
‘What’s the matter with her?’ Roberta asked.
‘Just a bit of stress. It’s nothing, I shouldn’t have mentioned it really.’
Roberta, however, was on it like a rat on a pound of Edam.
‘What’s she stressed about? Nerves, we used to call it, not that they’d let you have any time off with it. Not unless you were bad enough to be locked away,’ Roberta sprayed cake crumbs as she spoke. ‘She should have come here with you today if she’s off. She’d have been made very welcome.’
‘I know.’
‘How long’s she off for and—’
‘Mum, stop giving him the third degree.’ Shay interrupted her mother’s Gestapo-like interrogation. ‘Are you managing for money, son?’
‘We’re fine for money, thanks. Karoline’s parents throw it at her. It can be annoying if I’m honest.’
‘Yes, I imagine,’ said Shay. Sunny wasn’t a freeloader. He’d always paid his own way. He would be hating that his in-laws were the ones financing a wedding too big for him to afford. Unlike his sister, he had always preferred to live within his means and be solvent.
‘You still playing rugby?’ Roberta asked him.
‘Yep.’
He didn’t look big enough any more to play, thought Shay, trying not to stare at her son too intently. He’d be snapped like a twig on the pitch. He lifted his head and caught her eyes and she saw something there she didn’t like. They weren’t the big brown eyes shining with a loveof life that she was used to. She felt suddenly odd, as if on an exclusive mother and son wavelength that existed with placenta-like strength and was tuned with insight.
‘Are youreallyall right Sunny?’ she asked him, unable to stop herself.
He opened his mouth to answer but it didn’t come out, whatever it was he was about to say wouldn’t budge further. Then a rasping pulse broke the moment as Sunny’s phone went off in his pocket and he scrabbled to take it out as if it were programmed to self-destruct unless it was answered within three rings.
‘I’d better just get this. ’Scuse me.’
Shay had caught sight of the screen and the large name written at the top,Karoline.
Sunny got up and walked into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
‘Who was it?’ asked Roberta.
‘Shh, Mum,’ said Shay, creeping to the door, listening through it to his half of the conversation.
‘… I’m at my gran’s… yes, of course I’m here… she’s not been well so I took the morning off… last-minute decision, that’s why I didn’t say… Karoline, let me speak… do you want me to put her on the phone to prove it?… Okay, I will then…’
Shay just managed to assume her position on the sofa before Sunny returned, holding his phone out to Roberta.
‘Gran, Karoline would like to say hello.’
‘Hello Karoline.’ Roberta pressed the speakerphone button inadvertently and so they were all party to the conversation.
‘Hello Roberta. Sunny tells me you aren’t well.’ Karoline’s voice was soft, sympathetic and Roberta, despite her misgivings about the woman, was touched by her concern.
‘Oh I’m perfectly fine,’ she cooed, making a lie of her grandson’s words. ‘It was a lovely surprise to see him. It’s a shame you couldn’t come too. It might have done you good having a drive over if you’ve got problems.’
Shay watched Sunny’s face fold into an instinctive cringe, quickly corrected.
