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Back The Library Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  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. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

Dad was back at work and he asked me if I was going out like he always used to do. It was as if I’d never been away – that was until the door shut and the house was silent. I sat on the stairs for a bit just thinking. I was alone. I guess I’ve been alone a lot since Mum died. I must have got used to it without even realising. Somehow being at Maggie’s I’ve got un-used to it because now it didn’t feel right. It felt completely alien.

Maybe it was the silence. But Maggie’s had been quiet. I went and put the TV on and had a flick round the channels. The Big Bang Theory was on. I watched it for a bit wondering if Farah was watching it too. The key characters are Leonard, Sheldon and Penny. An image of the puppies popped into my mind. I really missed them. I missed the other animals too. But most of all I missed Maggie.

*

I read Outlander into the early hours, trying to get my mind to switch off. It kept replaying the argument with Maggie. I could see the letter and feel the anguish. I must have fallen asleep eventually. When I woke up the book was on my pillow and I’d had a massive lie-in. I hadn’t done that for weeks. The birds usually woke me up and if they didn’t, I’d hear the lambs and that would.

I listened and all I could hear was the odd car going past, and Dad in the shower. This was my new routine – or more accurately, I was back to the old one. I could do what I liked. No animals demanding attention. No fencing to fix. No yoga. No martial arts training. No puppy duties. No Maggie. Not much of anything at all. Dad dropped something in the shower and swore. It was time for me to get up.

Dad was bouncing around the kitchen like Tigger on Red Bull. It was all a bit much.

‘I got you some peanut butter. I know you like it,’ said Dad, getting the jar from the cupboard and presenting it to me like I’d won a Brit Award.

I took the jar and studied the label. ‘It’s got palm oil in it.’

‘Is that good?’ he asked, leaning over my shoulder.

‘Seriously? Don’t you know how bad that is for the planet?’

‘I thought you liked peanut butter. A thank you might be nice. Jeez.’ The toast popped up and he passed me a slice. He was trying, I knew that, but right now it wasn’t enough.

38

MAGGIE