They were in a barn oot the back, like a pair ay animals. Alec hauled him off, the blond one, off the top of her. I minded my spit running doon his cheek and I felt glad. I hoped it wis hot when it hit him. She wis naked apart from her slip, round her waist, and I marched up and got her by the ear. I told her to cover herself and we got her into the back of Dod’s car still barefoot, covered her with the tartan rug in there to get her back into the hoose. Scab hoor, I wis muttering, and when we got there, that’s what they’d painted on the wall. Aye, I said those things to my own daughter, hen, and I don’t regret it. She wis. She did that. They were chucking things at her as we walked her back into the hoose, they were swearing. My ain folk, folk I’d known aw my life.

Alec couldnae even look at her. I want her oot ma hoose, he said, and he went away and locked himself in the toilet. Me and her, we went up to her room. I brought her a binbag because it was aw we had, and I told her she’d better put her things in it. She was crying, breathing like an asthma attack, and she looked like wan of her daddy’s Highland Marys under that rug. Mammy, she says to me. Mammy please.

I’m no made of stone, hen. I’m no. That wis still my girl there, in front of me. But whit could I dae? She couldny stay with us, no now. And who in the town would take her in? Nobody. What aboot ma Highers, she’s saying, whit aboot the school? And I’m saying, you’d no get through a day alive at the school eftir this, baby. She went to get into my arms for a bit cuddle there but I couldny do it. I stepped back. Why did you dae it, my girl? I asked her. She says, because I felt sorry for him, Mammy. They’re all so lonely. They’re all so scared. Load a shite if you ask me. She saw something she fancied so she went for it. Didnae think. That’s what. That’s what.

What will I do, Mammy? she’s asking me. I said at first why don’t you see if your fine boyfriend will take you down tae England? They might have you there! But she needed my help, still, despite whit she’d done. So I took her to the train station – it was hard getting her oot the door, right enough, some of the younger wans started pushing the car about while I was trying to start it. The girl was crying oot their names – she was at school with some of them. Charlie, she was crying. Davy. Dinnae. Dinnae.