Page 19 of Silver Tears

“See! We’ll peruse your options over lunch. Come on. There’s a cheese and bacon panini with my name on it.”

MILLY

The café is hectic this morning. We have our regulars, but we also have quite a few families who’ve called in for breakfast today, so I’m run off my feet. Checking my watch, I realise I clock off in half an hour. I bite my lip, thinking of the lie I told my brothers this morning when I said I was going out shopping with Ruby this afternoon. I hate lying to them, but it’s the only way I can get away and help my mum and little brother.

The last half hour passes in a whirl, and before I know it, I’m hanging up my apron. I change in the staff toilets, slipping on a pair of jeans, my Nikes, and a hoodie, before I head out for the bus stop. I text mum to let her know I am on my way, but I get no response. The entire bus journey, I’m worried, in case Charlie is home alone. Between Peggy and me, we have kept Charlie safe. As each week goes by though, mum slips further and further into an abyss. I’m worried what will be the outcome if she carries on like this. I have thought about talking to Eliza about it, but I don’t want to ask her to keep secrets from Damon. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Ruby knows, and she is great at helping me with my cover story, but I wish I had someone older and wiser to give me some advice.

I get off the bus and make the short five-minute walk to the house. The house is dark with the blinds still down at two in the afternoon. I enter the house and breathe a sigh of relief when I find Charlie sitting in the living room watching television with a bag of crisps in his hand.

“Milly!” He squeals, running to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I kiss the top of his head and squeeze him tight.

“Hey Chops. You, okay?”

“I’m bored,” he moans, looking up at me with those big expressive eyes that will one day break many a girl’s hearts.

“Where’s mum?” I ask him, my eyes scanning the mess.

Charlie pouts and points upstairs. “She’s sleeping in bed. There is a man in there, too.”

“A man?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

“A man with a beard and drawings all over his arms,” Charlie tells me, as he toddles off back to the sofa to enjoy his tv show.

“Ah, well, mum must have asked him for a sleepover.” I climb the stairs and mum’s bedroom door is ajar. I gently push it open. Mum is lying on her front, naked, with the blanket covering her from the waist down. A large man snores open-mouthed at the side of her. Just great! I frown further when I spot the empty beer cans and cider bottles strewn around the bedroom floor.

I head back downstairs and set about washing the dishes and giving the kitchen worktops a wipe down. There isn’t much food in the fridge, only a loaf of bread, half a pint of milk, some cheese spread, and ham. It looks like I’ll be spending this week’s wages on a food shop again. I don’t want Charlie to be here when that man—who I assume is mum’s new boyfriend, Lenny—wakes up. So, it appears we’re going out for the day.

“Hey Charlie, I was thinking, shall we go get pancakes at Gina’s and go to the park?”

Charlie’s eyes light up. “Can I have Nutella on my pancakes?”

“Of course, spud. You can have a chocolate milkshake too. You wait here, I’ll go pick out your clothes and we’ll head out.”

Charlie bounces on his bum excitedly, nodding his head. I get no greater joy than seeing my little brother happy. I want him to have a good life and it’s killing me that mum is letting him down like this.

We get ready and walk down to the high street. Charlie loves going to Gina’s because she does the most amazing waffles and pancakes. Gina also knows mum from old. They went to high school together.

“Hey, you two,” Gina greets from behind the counter. “I was wondering if you might come in today. Your favourite table is free, Charlie.” She gestures to our usual table over by the big bay window, and Charlie happily skips off to grab our seats. “How’s your mum doing?”

I sigh. “Okay. She’s drinking a lot. I’m trying to look after Charlie as best as I can.”

Gina frowns, tucking a rogue strand of her ginger hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry to hear that, Milly. Your mum always did like a drink. If there is anything I can do.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll go see what he wants to order,” I tell her, gesturing to where my brother sits patiently, scanning the menu in his hands.

“I can hazard a guess that he wants Nutella pancakes and a chocolate milkshake but go on over. I’ll come and take your order in a couple of minutes.” I laugh along with her. She knows as well as I do that Charlie always orders the same thing.

As predicted, he orders the Nutella pancakes and a chocolate milkshake. I’m trying to watch my money, so I have enough to get a small food shop for them. I also need enough for my bus fare for coming over in the week. While we wait for our food, Gina drops the tub of crayons and colouring books at our table. We set to working on a picture of a pirate ship together. I feel relief that he is happy and carefree. I hope by the time we get home mum’s overnight visitor will have left.

SEB

Ilook at my watch and sigh. How much longer is Vee going to take? She persuaded me to take her into Droyton to call in at a small crystal shop to pick up her order. Her car is at the garage and Eliza is busy with Kit this morning. I should have known once we got here that she wouldn’t just pick her order up and leave. Now she’s having a deep conversation with the shop owner about the best crystals for when she’s studying. I pop my phone back in my pocket, bored with scrolling through my social media apps, when I spot Milly across the street. I watch her as she walks hand in hand with a cute little boy who smiles up at her and chats away animatedly. Curious. I walk closer to the window so I can watch where they go. They enter a café called Gina’s. Don’t tell me she has a baby-sitting job as well? Does this girl ever relax?

“Hey Vee, I’m going to get a coffee. I’ll meet you back at the car park in half an hour, okay?”

Vee briefly looks over at me and nods her head, giving me a dismissive wave. No doubt she’ll come back to the car with much more than she ordered for pick up. On a mission, I cross the high street and head for the small café. I enter inside and a petite woman with ginger hair and freckles greets me with a smile.

“Good morning. Are you taking out or eating in?”

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