Page 55 of Between Us

‘Not move! You can drive home every night if you want.’

‘Gee, thanks.’

‘Your room is ready for you if you do want to stay.’

‘As enticing as this is, Mum, it’s a nope. No thank you.’

Roisin sounded like a chippily defiant teenager. In fact,she was waterlogged with guilt, as was the way of familial bonds. As was the way when your widowed mother was putting the squeeze on you. It was the equivalent of tapping your kneecap with a little hammer, and your leg involuntarily jerking.

‘Alright then. I was going to tell you this in person, because I didn’t want to worry you. I’ve also had a little scare. A breast lump scare.’

‘A scare?’ Roisin said, stepping away from other customers. ‘What happened?’

‘I had a lump and the GP checked it out and said it was likely nothing. It was a little frightening.’

‘They knew it was nothing, from that check-up?’

‘No … I’ve had a biopsy.’

Roisin’s stomach plummeted. ‘A biopsy? When did you have that? When are the results?’

‘They’ll let me know later today, they said. Ihavefelt quite tired but put it down to overwork. You know, with doing it all by myself here.’

Roisin ignored this. ‘Have you told Ryan?’

It was totally within the realms of possibility that she had told her brother, and Ryan hadn’t contacted Roisin. Ryan had moved to Toronto seven years ago. As far as Roisin was concerned, emotionally, Ryan had always lived in Toronto. Her mum was closer to Ryan, and Ryan could do no wrong.

‘No. I’ll call him after this.’

‘OK.’ Roisin was surprised to be prioritised, but clearly, needs must.

‘Please note I put the request first and health news second, so you couldn’t say I was using it.’

‘Except … this still amounts to using it, Mum.’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Roisin, I can’t win! So I shouldn’t have told you?’

‘I don’t think you can ask your offspring to be your relief staff.’

‘You can in a family business. You know how it is. It’s not like other jobs. I can’t sign off sick – would that I could. And if The Mallory goes under, I lose my home.’

This was a keynote speech of Roisin’s youth and partly why she hated the place. The Mallory: millstone, HQ of drama, a home that any stranger could walk into. Helmed by a marriage that other people could walk into … God, no wonder Joe throwing their life on the screen had traumatised her.

Yet she knew, as no doubt Lorraine had expected, that she’d not be able to live with herself if the biopsy results were bad and her mum was working a solo shift. In that event, she’d be visiting tomorrow anyway. Even if the news was good, she should visit.

‘Alright, look.’ She pulled a face that her mother couldn’t see. ‘I’ll help out tomorrow. But, Mum, youhaveto look for someone as a matter of urgency. This is a one-off.’

‘Yes, absolutely! Completely understood.’

‘Will you text me the result?’

‘Of what?’

‘The biopsy?’ Roisin said.

‘Oh yes! Of course.’

Eesh. She knew an optimistic outlook was to be commended, but there was optimistic, and then there was Lorraine.

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