Page 5 of The Fall-Out

Naomi:

Maybe if I’d spent more time puking I’d have a chance of fitting into that purple dress. Someone bring safety pins.

Abbie:

Matt’s gone for a walk. He didn’t sleep at all last night, just lay there next to me pretending. Of course I was pretending too, so…

Kate:

I’m shitting myself about that reading. What if I cry when I get to the ‘Let me go’ bit?

Abbie:

What Andy would’ve wanted, innit? Max drama. Everyone weeping and rending their garments.

Naomi:

You flinging yourself on top of the coffin demanding to be buried – OK I’ll stop. Too soon, right?

Kate:

Damn it, I’m laughing now. That’s way too dark but you just know Andy would love it.

Rowan:

Has anyone spoken to his mother?

Abbie:

Yep, Matt did yesterday. She’s in bits. He thinks she mostly feels like crap because she and Andy weren’t in touch for so long before it happened. She’s okay with us having organised just about everything – says she’s far too emotionally fragile but actually he reckons she knows she doesn’t have a clue what he’d have wanted.

I raised my eyes from the screen and stared out into the gloomy, barren garden for a moment. The branches of the silver birch tree, naked of leaves, were whipping in the wind. The kids’ plastic toys, which we should have put away in autumn but hadn’t, were up-ended and splattered with mud.

I’d never met Andy’s mother – as far as I knew their relationship had been somewhere between frosty and non-existent for years – but the guilt I imagined she must be feeling now was almost unbearable. I wished I’d kissed my own children goodbye instead of hustling them out of the door with Patch.

Naomi:

And we do know. Right, gang? So come on, let’s get out there and smash it.

Abbie:

We’ve got this. Purple frocks on, chins up, tits out. Those of us that have any tits to speak of, that is.

Kate:

First I need to decide which purple frock to wear. I ordered six off The Outnet and I haven’t tried them on yet.

Rowan:

Give Daniel a fashion show and let him decide.

Naomi:

Hope you bought purple underwear to match.

Kate:

Actually, I hate to admit this but I did. Mad OTT but…

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