Page 107 of The Side Road
‘I haven’t slept. An animal is scurrying around inside my roof. It might be a possum. Or it could be a rat, but I’m hoping it’s a possum.’ She looked at Mia. ‘I might go off the apps.’
‘Overwhelmed by choice?’ Mia asked.
‘Not likely. There’s a fine line between fishing and staring at your phone like an idiot.’ April plucked her phone out ofher pocket. She opened the dating app, handed the device to Mia, and encouraged her to swipe.
Mia swiped several times. After that, there were no more options. ‘Slim pickings.’
April pointed to the woman on the screen wearing a grey scarf. ‘That one talked all night about how busy her life was.’
‘That can be annoying,’ Mia agreed.
‘The apps have changed me. I don’t like the person I’m becoming. Also, someone stole Fiona’s beanie.’
The hand-knitted hat, made by April, was a navy cable design with a luxurious pom-pom.
‘Do you know who it was?’ Mia asked.
April lowered her voice. ‘It might have been Connor – it was his mum’s birthday last week.’
The rest of the day passed slowly. Each tick of the clock felt laboured, and the minutes dragged like Snood, reluctant to leave his evening walk along the river trail. At one point, Mia thought the clock might have stopped.
As she finally closed the store and locked the front door, her phone rang. It was Tash. Mia’s heart raced. Why would Tash be calling her? She looked at Snood, who was sitting at her feet. ‘I have a bad feeling about this.’
When Mia answered, Tash said, ‘They’ve been fighting like cats and dogs for hours.’
‘I’ll come right over.’
Fifteen minutes later, Mia parked the BMW outside Blanche and Leo’s house.
Sitting on the front step, Tash looked like an orphan. ‘They were so angry.’ She held back her tears.
‘They’re an emotional couple. Passionate. They argue, they make up. They do love each other, very much.’
‘I don’t want to stay over anymore.’
‘Give me a few minutes, and then I’ll take you home.’
In the kitchen, Blanche, wearing a loose kaftan, sat on a stool sipping whisky. ‘He’s being completely unreasonable,’ she said.
Mia adjusted Blanche’s dress, which had slipped over her shoulder. She kissed her cheek and removed the whisky glass from her hand.
‘He accused me of all kinds of things, adultery, flirting with the butcher.’
‘You do flirt with the butcher.’ Mia put the kettle on. She set out the mugs for tea.
‘Harmless fun. And it’s worth it, because I get the best cuts.’
‘Not that harmless, obviously.’
Mia looked around for Leo.
‘He’s in the living room watching TV,’ Blanche said.
Mia poked her head into the living room. Leo had dived into the washing basket, which was perched on a nearby chair. He fished through the clothes and pulled out a sock. ‘Where are all my socks?’ he demanded. ‘How come I only have one?’
‘Wash your own socks next time. See how many you can get out of the machine,’ Blanche said.
‘She’s with you and she loves you,’ Mia said, before returning to the kitchen.
