Page 24 of Nothing Without You

They hugged when they parted. ‘I’ve got to start work at the bakery in half an hour. I need to get home and get changed,’ Layla said as they stood at the side of the road.

‘See you on the weekend.’ Evie walked slowly back towards her house. Her head thumped and she felt sick from smoking so many cigarettes, so quickly. She slammed the gate closed as she walked in through her front yard. And now she needed to have a shower, in the very same space where her mother and Mr McIntosh had just been.

Thankfully her mother’s bedroom door was closed, so she didn’t have to face her. Grabbing some clothes from her bedroom, she locked herself in the bathroom. What a fucked-up day, she thought. The worst day of her life. She washed her hair, the smell of smoke hanging in the air. Her father would be home soon; then it would be dinner time. Trying to remember what Mr McIntosh and her mother had discussed, she stepped out of the shower. Her legs were shaking, and she looked at herself in the mirror.

It was obvious she had been crying, and she held a cold washer over her eyes. This was the end of her life. No more dreaming about Chris. No more waiting for him after school, or sneaking away to the bush to make out. Liar. Cheat. Bastard.

She jumped as someone knocked on the bathroom door, and then she heard her mother’s voice. ‘Are you in there, Evie? It’s nearly dinner time. Hurry up. The table is set.’

‘Of course, she thought. ‘Those two had set a time when they were both going to announce they were running away together. What about her father? Surely her mother wouldn’t go through with her plan?’

By the time she finished in the bathroom, making sure she looked like she had not been crying, dinner was on the table. Her mother kept looking up at the clock on the wall, and Evie moved as slowly as she could, knowing what was about to happen. ‘Come and sit,’ her mother said, pulling a chair out for her. Her father, who was not long home from work, held out his hand. Evie held it for a moment, before taking her seat next to him.

‘You look sad, my bambino,’ he said, as he squeezed her hand. ‘Come sit and tell us your worries.’

A plate full of rissoles and vegetables was in front of Evie, and her stomach churned. How could she eat? She didn’t want to ever eat again. Staring at her plate, she listened as her father talked about his day. Her heart sank. Was her mother going to tell him? How could she? Maybe Evie had heard wrong, or perhaps her mother and Mr McIntosh had changed their minds. Pushing the food around on her plate, she started to feel sick. Her life couldn’t get any worse. Why bother eating?

She jumped in her seat as her mother cleared her throat. ‘I have something I want to say,’ her mother said, as she sat up straight and pushed her blonde hair back behind her ears. ‘It’s important, and you both need to listen.’

Evie’s father stopped talking and gave her mother a strange look. ‘You look serious. Do you want a glass of wine? Maybe some more sauce?’

‘I don’t want anything. I need to tell you both something.’ She pushed her plate away, and Evie noticed she had not eaten anything either. Her next words came out suddenly, like a blade slicing through the air. ‘I’m going to leave.’

Evie’s father continued to eat. His knife scraped across the china plate as he cut his rissoles into smaller pieces before putting a piece on his fork, then a bean and a piece of carrot. He dipped the stack on his fork into the sauce on the side of his plate, then popped it all into his mouth. The air felt heavy, and Evie’s heart ached. She realised he had not taken any notice of what had been said.

Mother spoke louder. ‘I said, I’m leaving. Carlo, are you listening to me?’

Finally, her father finished chewing the mouthful of food. ‘Are you sick? Go and lie down. Evie and I will clean up.’

Her mother stood up. ‘I’m leaving home. I can’t live here for one more day, and …’ she stopped for a moment, looking down at Evie. ‘I know this will be hard for you Evie, but I can’t stay here any longer. I’ve met someone else.’ Her gaze turned to Carlo, whose fork was suspended in mid-air, his eyes narrowing as the realisation of what she was saying hit him.

‘I’m sorry Carlo, but it’s over, and Evie is old enough to be here for this conversation. I want her to know the truth and to hear it from me.’

Carlo threw his fork down on the plate, and folded his arms. His thick brows furrowed. ‘You say you are leaving?’

‘Yes. I have met a man and we love each other. We want to leave here and live together. I’m sorry Evie, but I have decided that you will be better off staying here with your father.’

Carlo’s voice rose, and Evie thought she was going to vomit. ‘You have decided? What are you talking about? You haven’t discussed this with me, ever. You can’t just announce this all of a sudden. Who is this man? Why say all of this in front of Evie?’

‘I want her to hear it from me. She’s old enough and I want her to know that you and I haven’t been a couple for many years. You know what I mean, Carlo. I can’t keep living like this. It’s all a lie, and I deserve better.’

‘And what about Evie? Have you thought about her?’

‘I’ve always put everyone else first. Now it’s time for me to live my life. The two of you will be okay here without me. Evie can finish school. She only has two more years to go, and by then we will have settled down somewhere and ….’ She turned to Evie. ‘Then you can decide if you want to come and live with me or stay here with your father.’

‘Who is this man? Evie and I deserve to know who it is. If you think she is old enough to hear all of this, then you’re going to have to tell us who it is.’

Taking a deep breath, her mother drew herself up tall. ‘It’s David McIntosh. The English teacher at the school where I work.’

Evie put her hands over her face, only moving them away so she could see what was happening. She heard her father standing up and pushing his chair so hard that it toppled over. ‘What are you talking about, woman? An English teacher. How long has this been going on?’

‘For a few years. We love each other.’

She felt her father’s hand on her shoulder. ‘Evie, go to your room. There is no need for you to hear all of this.’

Evie stayed sitting, even though she badly wanted to get up and escape to her room. Her legs were shaking so much she didn’t think she could get up anyway. ‘No. I’m staying.’

She noticed her mother look at the clock again. I’m getting picked up at seven o’clock. My bags are ready, and I will leave here with nothing but my clothes and a few personal belongings. When I get to where we’re staying, I will ring and let you know I’m okay.’

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