‘One more hour.’

‘I’ve already pushed it, Fred.’

‘Just one more,’ he pleaded.

Say no. Stand your ground. The rain pelted against the window, the room was cold, the bed warm and inviting. She’d never wanted to sink into a man before. I should go.

‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ he asked.

A million things raced through her mind including, but not limited to, fire, flood, famine and pestilence, but Valerie could handle all of them.

She nodded. ‘One more hour.’

He grinned. ‘Maybe two.’

Don’t get cocky, mister. She slipped back into the bed, wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat in her ear.

Valerie

Valerie put down the phone to her mother and bit the only nail she had left. What are you up to, Jeremy? She worried that if her mother came home before Jeremy she wouldn’t be able to give him the heads-up on her lie. She could have ratted that he’d bunked off school and still hadn’t come home but, as much fun as seeing the golden boy get into trouble would be, the cons far outweighed the pros. Her ma would freak out, leg it home and start calling around. She’d be questioned like a criminal and ultimately – as always – her ma would find a way to fight with Valerie about it. Everything’s always my fault. On the upside Valerie wasn’t an eejit: she knew if she covered for him he’d owe her, and she needed all the favours she could get.

She sauntered down the hallway and knocked at the bathroom door. ‘Are you all right, Grammy?’ It had been a testing few hours. Grammy hadn’t stopped getting up and down, walking in and out, wanting this and that. She was exhausting, and Valerie was tired of running around after her. This was her third time in the loo in an hour, and whatever else they helped Grammy with, Valerie and Jeremy did not do bathroom stuff with her. There are some things you can never unsee, and both children had made it very clear to their mother that she was on her own when it came to naked Grammy.

‘I’d choke on me own puke,’ Valerie had said.

‘I’d never be right again, Ma,’ had been Jeremy’s stand on the matter.

Their mother hadn’t needed much convincing. She’d admitted that it was hard enough on her, and she was an adult who had seen her share of horror.

Valerie knocked again. ‘What’s happening? Wait! Jaysus, don’t tell me. Just say, “Finished.”’

‘Finished.’

‘Great. Are you decent?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ Grammy said.

‘Brill. I’m opening the door then.’

Grammy was standing there with her skirt up around her chest and her knickers around the ankles of Jeremy’s soccer socks.