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Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Dedication
  4. Dedication2
  5. 1994
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 2006
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 2018
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. Acknowledgements

Nothing came in from outside after they’d had lunch. They were just sitting there. Not looking at anything, unless one of them found a magazine. Generally, they would spend time looking at some point in the distance. Like just sitting in silence and staring out at the street. It was uninterrupted when they were together. And sometimes it was uncomfortable and sometimes it was okay and sometimes it was nice. Greta and Peggy were pretty much never apart. Most of the women who had another woman exactly the same were together all the time. It was early days, everyone was trying to work out how it would work, so it felt best if everyone just stayed where they could see each other. It was easy for Peggy and Greta – a lot of the time they wished they could be even closer together, but it wasn’t like that for all of them. Peggy and Greta were the lucky ones. The lucky unlucky ones. It was early days, and surely one day they could all live how they wanted but for now this was best. They looked strange when they were apart – it made people uncomfortable. When they were together, it was easy for everyone to read them as one. When they were apart, they looked like half-people.

‘Do you think Heidi will leave again?’ Greta asked.

Peggy shrugged. ‘Maybe Dell will leave.’

‘Maybe she already has.’

They both nodded.

‘Maybe that’s why Heidi’s so angry.’

‘Because Dell’s getting away with it,’ Peggy said.

‘Do you want to leave?’ Greta asked.

Peggy shook her head.

‘Me neither,’ Greta said.

‘It’s fine really,’ Peggy said. ‘Safer, maybe.’

Greta nodded. ‘I guess it’s lucky we see things the same way.’

‘Yeah.’

‘It’s probably time to go back.’ Greta looked behind them, back into the shop.

‘Those jumpers look warm,’ Peggy said.

‘Why would someone throw out so many good jumpers?’

‘Maybe they died,’ Peggy said.

They looked at each other for a moment.

‘Wow,’ Greta said. ‘I didn’t think of that.’

‘Or maybe they just got some new jumpers,’ Peggy said, picking up the paper bag and Gladwrap the sandwiches had come in.

‘Yeah,’ Greta said. ‘That’s probably it.’

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