Page 97 of The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright

‘I haven’t told her yet,’ I admit. ‘They live in London. I don’t know how this will all work.’

‘Jesus, Bea. Don’t you think you should find all this stuff out before you agree to move back in with the guy? Like now that you know about his kids, will they be in your life? And Ellie’s? And what about the ex-wife? That’s a whole other shitshow to contend with.’

My head is thumping as Cora goes on and on. Bashing Declan. I stop listening. My attention has turned to Ellie, who is coughing in her sleep. I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder and try to turn her on her side.

‘And another thing,’ I just about hear Cora say before vomit spews from Ellie’s mouth and she wakes, sweating and crying.

‘I gotta go,’ I say. ‘Ellie’s sick.’

I drop my phone onto the ground and pull Ellie close to me. She’s still half asleep, and crying fitfully as vomit sticks to her hair and clothes. I retch as the acidic smell is amplified in the tiny room with no window. I peel off Ellie’s jammies and wrap her in the blankets that have thankfully avoided the line of fire. Then I set about cleaning up, and sneaking Ellie into the bathroom for a wash. It’s monotonous and my eyes burn with tiredness. Ellie is sick a couple more times during the night and we repeat the process. When the morning finally rolls around, Ellie has stopped throwing up but she’s as green as the curtains on the day ward. If I send her to crèche like this, Alannah will call me within the first ten minutes and force me to keep her home for three days. I do the only thing I can think of and call Shayne.

‘Hello.’

‘Hi. It’s Bea. I’m so sorry to call so early. Did I wake you?’

‘No. No. It’s okay.’ I can hear from his groggy voice that I have most definitely woken him.

‘Oh God, sorry.’

‘Bea. Stop apologising,’ he says, waking more. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘It’s Ellie. She’s sick.’

‘Oh.’ He immediately sounds worried and I can hear that he’s sat up, probably in bed.

‘It’s okay. It’s okay,’ I hurry to reassure him. ‘It’s nothing serious. She puked a few times last night.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah. Must have picked something up. Thing is, I can’t send her to crèche and?—’

‘You have work.’

I wince, realising that both times I have called him since he gave me his number have been to ask for a favour.

‘I do.’

‘Say no more,’ he says. ‘Grandad and I are going on a boat ride today.’

‘Oh, okay. No worries. Forget I asked. Enjoy the ride.’

‘No. Wait. It’s one of those drive around the city on a truck-boat things that drive into the Liffey when you’re done. And apparently, we all wear Viking hats and channel our inner Celt or something. I dunno. It was Grandad’s idea.’

‘Sounds great.’

‘It does, doesn’t it?’ I hear him smile. ‘So would Ellie be okay with that? She’s not afraid of the water or anything, is she?’

‘Oh no, I couldn’t impose. You’ve a whole day planned.’

‘A whole day that would be so much better with Ellie there. Unless, of course, you can blow off work and come too?’

My stomach flips. I would love nothing more than to spend the day driving around the city in a Viking boat truck thing like a tourist. But Elaine would hit the roof if I asked for time off with such short notice. And besides, I need the money.

‘I’d love to, but…’

He sighs. ‘It’s okay. I get it. Just thought I’d ask.’

I smile even though he can’t see me.

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