We talked as well as we could but the sounds of others kept butting in. And people came along to speak to diana and every time she said the same thing. 297

This is my mother. Her voice rang with a pride I did not deserve.

My child. My daughter I said to myself. My child my daughter.

A citysuited couple bore down on our table. They had a goal.

Ma chérie the woman said spreading her arms wide when they had almost reached us. She air kissed diana’s cheeks. Held her lightly by the shoulders and scrutinised her face.

You look tired chérie she said. Aren’t you sleeping well.

Diana turned to me.

Let me introduce my parents she said. Jacqueline. Stig. Jacqueline is french. Stig is swedish.

We all smiled at each other.

And this is my mother. Jana. While diana spoke to her parents her hand rested on my back.

More smiling. Diana has told us that you two are back in touch stig said to me. After all these years.

It would have been easy to understand if they felt threatened. After all diana had become their child in every legal way. Only now they faced a stranger their child chose to call mother.

It is thanks to diana that I have had the good luck to get to know her I said.

Diana left to go to the loo and jacqueline sent her husband off to fetch wine.

So you have been resurrected she said. It might make you happy to know that diana values the life she has had with us very highly.

I’m sure she does I said. She had expected me to bite.

Have you always lived in umeå I asked.

Mais non she said. We have travelled very widely. As a family.

I assumed that she felt threatened and noticed her not very discreet appraisal of my body. How badly dressed I was. The 298pale face the redrimmed eyes. My freckles and the way my sharp cheekbones stuck out.

Diana was back from the loo and stig followed soon afterwards.

Are you enjoying yourselves diana asked.

It was one thing to stand alone with that woman and answer her questions. In diana’s company it suddenly seemed unbearable. I finished my wine and excused myself.

Where will you sleep tonight diana asked as I was about to leave. I hadn’t thought that far.

I don’t really know I said. I’ll go home with john I suppose.

Why not stay overnight with me she said loudly. John is staying too.

Sounds good I said. Let me think about it.

I made another attempt to plough through the crowd. The large number of people seemed strange. A completely unknown painter had attracted a huge audience.