Page 56 of In Just One Day

Mother, Denise… devastated… family declined to comment…

‘Why is it in the paper now?’ Flora’s voice was flat.

Johnny spoke quietly. ‘It’s because the trial starts soon. He was charged with death by careless driving and pleaded not guilty, so…’ Johnny sighed. ‘Look, hopefully it’ll be over quickly.’ He held her gaze.

Flora knew that. She remembered the police coming to her parents’ house back in those early days, just after Billy had died, to explain that the driver had been charged. She could remember the officers’ voices but not their faces.

And now the trial was happening in a matter of weeks. She looked again at the picture of Billy. He’d been so full of life. Bursting, in fact, as if he’d taken more than his fair share of energy, of brilliance. She shut the paper and put it back on Johnny’s lap. She closed her eyes as they came in to land, the face of the boy in her mind. She tried to replace it with Billy’s, but her mind kept going back to the boy and the name of his mother. She thought of her own mother, too.

Would she or her mother ever feel like they were living properly again? Or was it only when Flora escaped real life that she wouldn’t feel quite so sad? The image of those still, quiet waterways came into her mind, along with the words of the woman in the church. Deep down, Flora knew she had to learn to live with her broken heart. She just wasn’t sure how.

* * *

Robin woke early but Kate was already gone, the sheets on her side not even warm any more. He slipped out of bed and went to the window, pulling back the curtain to look down across the lawn to the river below. There, at the end of the garden, sitting on the old stone bench, sat Kate wrapped in her dressing gown. It looked cold outside, too cold to be sitting like that. Robin quickly threw on some clothes and went downstairs. He made a fresh cup of tea and went down to his wife, mug in hand. The air was still, and there was a slight frost on the ground.

‘Darling, you must be freezing.’ Robin stood behind her, holding the cup forward.

‘I like it out here this early. It’s so peaceful.’ She looked up at him, smiled a little and took the still-steaming mug. ‘Thank you.’

Robin walked round the side of the bench and took a seat next to her.

He took a breath, then spoke gently. ‘Kate, I think we need to talk.’

She laughed a little, keeping her eyes on the view in front of them. ‘Don’t you think it’s a bit late for that?’

‘Kate, please. We can’t go on just not speaking about it.’

‘About what, exactly?’ Kate turned to look at him, her eyes not giving anything away.

‘Well, about everything that’s happened. About Billy…’

Kate looked away again. She took a sip of her tea. Then she spoke, her voice soft but steady. ‘How about we talk about your affair instead?’

Robin was blindsided. His mind raced. How did she know? How long had she known? He looked at her, stunned.

‘Lost for words, Robin?’ Kate put her cup down. ‘Did you really think I didn’t know?’ Her voice was flat, the words slow and deliberate.

‘Kate, I’m so sorry…’ Robin looked at her, wishing he could say something to make everything different.

‘How long has it been going on for?’

He opened his mouth to speak.

‘I said, how long, Robin? How long has it been going on for?’

‘Kate, please…’

‘Oh, for God’s sake, Robin, just tell me. I want to know how long I’ve been taken for an idiot.’

‘You are not… Kate, I never—’

‘Years? I know it’s been at least five. Please don’t tell me it’s more.’

‘Well, yes, it has been about that.’ Robin turned to face her. ‘But please, Kate. It’s over now.’

‘Damn right, it’s over.’

‘Oh, Kate, no. Please can we talk about it first?’

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