Page 83 of Seven Letters

‘We are calm,’ Mia said pointedly. ‘You’ve got to talk some sense into him, Rob. I don’t mean force him to change his mind, but just make him see this affects all of us hugely, so we will have an opinion. But that doesn’t mean it has to tear us apart.’

‘I’ll try,’ Rob said. ‘He’s just so cut up about it, Mia. You’re asking him to throw away his whole future, you know.’

Mia began to cry again – was there no end to the tears? ‘I do know that, Rob. We’re all shattered. But I have a child, as does Adam, and we have a responsibility to them too.’

Rob nodded tiredly. ‘Jesus, no matter what he decides to do, it’s painful.’

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Mia said. ‘Let’s see how things look then. Night, Rob.’

She followed the others outside. Johnny had offered Charlie his arm and was helping him to the car. Her heart filled with love for her husband. He was a gem.

‘Well now,’ Olivia was saying, as she walked along beside them, ‘a hot whiskey won’t really do any good. I think a nice cup of nettle tea would settle him just as well.’

‘For the love of Jesus, Olivia,’ Mia said, ‘just give the man a strong drink for shock and also to help him sleep. He’ll collapse if he doesn’t get some rest. I’m really worried about him.’

‘So am I, which is why I’m encouraging healthy options,’ Olivia said. ‘I lost one husband. I don’t need to lose another.’

He’s not your husband yet, Mia wanted to say. ‘Just please make sure he gets rest.’

‘Of course I will. I take great care of Charlie.’ Olivia bristled. ‘You should do the same with your husband. Men need to be minded.’

Mia closed her eyes and tried to block out Olivia’s voice before she threw her a right hook.

Johnny steered Mia towards their car. Her hands were shaking so much, she couldn’t click her seatbelt into place. Riley reached over and gently did it for her.

Johnny placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘You can let go now.’

Mia bent over and howled. She cried for her beautiful sister, for the baby that would never live, for Izzy, for her father and for herself. She cried the tears of the broken-hearted.

33

Riley checked her face for the millionth time in her phone mirror. She’d spent her whole lunch break locked in this toilet cubicle, applying make-up and trying to make herself look as good as possible. She’d nicked her mum’s push-up bra with the gel implants and opened her shirt button to show off her cleavage. Cleavage, for Riley, was a novelty. As Shocko had said, she had two fried eggs, but that was OK because she had good legs. It was rare to have both, her friend had told her.

Riley knew Zach was a leg man: he’d told her he loved her legs. But Zoë had really long, toned legs from jumping over the stupid hurdles all day long, and she had good boobs too. Not too big, not too small. More apples than fried eggs, but not melons.

Riley sprayed perfume on her neck and rubbed her hair in it. She wanted to be irresistible. She pulled at her eyes. No amount of concealer could hide her tiredness. She hadn’t been able to sleep.

When they’d got home from that horrendous meeting last night, her mum had gone straight to bed. Riley had never seen anyone cry that much. She’d been really frightened by Mia’s breakdown in the car.

She had wanted to check on her so she’d crept into the dark bedroom. Her mum was lying on her back, looking at the ceiling. Riley had gone to the side of the bed. Mia was lying in darkness, with just a sliver of daylight streaming through the curtains.

‘Hi, Mum. I just wanted to see if you needed anything. I’msorry the meeting was so awful. I guess there is no hope for the baby, even though Adam thinks so?’

Mia shook her head. ‘No, pet. The baby isn’t going to make it.’

‘Shit.’

‘Yep, it is. Completely and utterly shit.’

‘I’m sorry, Mum.’

‘Me, too.’

‘Can I get you anything? Tea, wine, vodka, Xanax?’

Mia gave her a weak smile. ‘I’d like the last three, please. But, no, I’m just going to stay here and be sad for a while.’

‘Like, for a day or a week or how long?’

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