‘What are you sorry for, you didn’t kill her.’

‘No, but it’s crap so I’m sorry.’

‘Thanks.’

‘So what now?’

‘I move to America with Davey.’

He stopped dead on the bike. ‘Wha—?’ he shouted.

‘I’m going to be living with Davey.’

‘Ah no,’ he said.

‘That’s what’s happening, Kyle.’

‘Ah but—’

‘But what? Did you think I was going to be staying here, living across the road from you, and everything would stay the same?’

‘No, but—’

‘No. Nothing’s going to be same. My ma is dead. My life here is over.’

‘Jaysus, that’s intense,’ he said.

‘Yeah, it is.’ A tear escaped and ran down her face. It was real: her mother was gone and she was moving to America with the uncle she adored but really didn’t know. She had cleaved to him over the last days of her mother’s life. He was available to her. He helped her. He was kind and gave her time when her grandparents were off chasing miracles and Grace was halving herself between Rabbit and her four boys. She didn’t want to be any trouble. Her grandmother was suffering with her heart. Grace was already so stretched, and Rabbit needed peace of mind. So it made sense to pair up with Davey. He wanted her. She didn’t want to let him down. She didn’t want to let anyone down. But that was then, when her mother needed reassurance. Now her mother was gone, and in the cold light of day, going to a strange land with a relative stranger terrified her.

She sat on a neighbour’s wall. Kyle sat on his bike in front of her.

‘I’m really gonna miss ya, Juliet.’

‘Me too,’ she said.

‘I think I might love ya.’ He blushed ruby red.

‘We’re kids, Kyle,’ she said with a flash of her granny’s patented disdain.

‘I know.’

‘I can’t be dealing with this.’ She got up and walked back towards the house.

‘Yeah, sorry,’ he said, ‘my bad.’

She walked indoors, crept up the stairs and back into her mother’s bedroom. She looked out the window and Kyle was still on his bike outside her house.

Weirdo, she thought, but despite her whole world being turned upside down and inside out, despite her pain and confusion, her fear and anger, a tiny smile crept across her lips as she looked up into the big blue sky. She pictured her ma lying on the grass, sunglasses on, staring into the sky. In her head she stood beside her.

What ya doin’, Ma?

Enjoying the view.

Juliet looked around the small garden with its patchy grass, dodgy fence and her broken-down playhouse. What view?