BooksBarbecue
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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

Dell put her phone down. She still held it close but she let her hand fall beside her body. ‘Why?’ she said. ‘Did Heidi say something?’

‘No,’ they both said at once.

‘We were just wondering,’ Greta said. ‘Like, how did you end up back here?’

‘On a bus,’ Dell said. ‘You all know that.’

‘Well. Yeah. I haven’t spoken to Heidi about it,’ Greta said.

‘You’ve all spoken about it.’

‘Not tonight,’ Greta said, smiling, trying to make it light.

Dell returned to her phone. ‘Well,’ she said. ‘If you hear anyone say anything different, you should tell me.’

‘Yeah,’ Peggy said.

‘You don’t need to tell Heidi,’ she said. ‘You’d just need to tell me.’

‘Yeah,’ Peggy said. ‘Yeah.’

‘Just saying,’ Dell said. ‘And there’s no need to go back and tell Heidi I asked you to tell me, because I’ll deny it.’

‘Yip,’ Peggy said.

‘And they all think you’re liars.’

‘Yip.’

‘They talk about it all the time. What huge liars you both are.’

Peggy turned slightly from the sink, her hands still under the tap. ‘Are we?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Dell. ‘It’s just what I hear. But you know that.’

‘Totally,’ Greta said. ‘Totally.’

‘So, I’m just saying – and remember it was you who came to me with the whole “where were you before now” business – that if you hear anyone talking about me and where I’ve been or how I got here, you can tell me and there is no need to talk to Heidi about this conversation because, a, I’ll deny it and, b, lying is kind of what you’re both famous for at this stage.’

‘Totally,’ Greta said. ‘But where were you before you got here?’

Dell looked at her and said, ‘Where were you two?’ Then she walked out of the kitchen.

46

46

Peggy and Greta walked in the dark down the drive. Greta was carrying the tin the cake had been in, and the tea towel. Peggy was carrying their bag. They were alone for the first time in twelve years, but there was nothing to say. The change was only cosmetic. Peggy bumped into Greta and Greta bumped her back. There was nothing they needed to say.

Greta washed her face while Peggy brushed her teeth. The dairy was shut, so they’d have to use the same toothbrush tonight – like they had been for twelve years. Really, they’d never been apart. They’d just been living in a smaller space. They both laughed, and Peggy put her free arm around Greta while Greta massaged moisturiser into her face.