‘Don’t know. Just said it was for you girls to talk about and I wasn’t to stick my nose in it. I figured you talked to er.’

‘Not me. I don’t know why she’d want to see me.’

‘I do. She’s knows about Laney.’ His voice is so quiet I wonder if I’ve heard him right. ‘She found out yesterday, got real upset and had a bad spell. Today after school she woke up good as, askin to see you. I thought you’d told her.’ He glances at me from the corner of his eye. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbles.

‘What?’ I lean in closer.

‘Sorry, okay? I’m sorry for yellin at ya!’

I raise an eyebrow like I learned from Aunty Agnes and he blushes. I can’t help but laugh and nudge his shoulder with mine.

‘Poor excuse for an apology, but I’ll take it.’ It’s my turn to not look in his direction for a bit, but Laney is never far from my mind. ‘So … are you gonna let me see her?’

‘She’s in the car.’ He nods with his head and I whip around so fast I whack him in the back with my elbow. I don’t even notice. I’m too busy staring at the grizzled old lady standing by the car. Gone are the nana nighties I am used to seeing her in, replaced with a pair of faded jeans, a massive baggy t-shirt and an even more shapeless flannelette shirt that flaps open. Her frizzy white hair is pulled back in a loose bun.

‘Ow!’ Sam complains.

‘Take it like a man ya big sook.’ May Miller stands at the back-passenger door giving us a look. ‘If you two are done screamin, can me and the girl have a yarn now?’

‘Yeah right.’ Sam stays put for a bit, but when the silence stretches on he looks at me carefully. ‘She made me and that’s the only reason.’ He sighs and stands. I stick my tongue out at his back.

Making his way back to the car, Sam pauses beside May long enough to look her over. ‘You sure, Aunt?’

‘Get away now, this is just for us women.’ She taps him kindly on his arm and walks past him, straight for me. There’s something in her eyes that I’ve never seen before, although it’s not like I see her much. She is present and aiming it all at me. It scares the crap out of me. ‘And close your mouth, girl, before you catch them flies.’