‘He’s been asking to stay at our place,’ Trudi said.

‘Got a cheek, hasn’t he?’

‘Liz is getting sick of him. Three weeks is a long time to have someone on your couch.’

Max heard Mum sigh. ‘It’s been peaceful without him. Easier. Maybe I don’t want him back.’

‘Of course you do. He’s the father of your kids.’

‘I know, but he’s a pain in the arse. Drinking, smoking, gambling. It costs too much.’

What was Mum talking about? Max wondered. She smoked and drank too.

‘Maybe you could take control of the finances and give him a weekly allowance so things don’t blow out.’

‘That’s an idea … but I don’t know if I can stand having him around.’

‘Sometimes Robbo drives me m-ad too. But what about when you two were first going out? There must have been something that attracted you.’

Mum laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. ‘Booze and parties. It was fun back then. It’s no fun anymore.’

‘Come on. It can’t be that bad. Tell me how you two got together. I wasn’t living here then. That was pre-Robbo.’

The kettle clicked off and Max heard Mum pouring tea. He knew he should go back to bed, but he hadn’t heard this story before.

‘I knew Shane from high school,’ Mum was saying. ‘But we didn’t hit it off till after we’d left. He was sexy. Good at footy too—you should have seen his muscles. And he told the best jokes. Had everybody in stitches.’

Max wondered why Dad didn’t tell jokes anymore.

‘All the girls had the hots for him,’ Mum went on, laughing quietly. ‘But he chose me. I was a bit of a looker in my teens … He said I had the best legs.’

‘You’re still pretty.’

‘He doesn’t appreciate it now.’

‘I bet he does. Look at you—you’ve still got a good body.’

‘Crumbling, if you ask me.’

‘The men still think you’re hot.’

‘Nobody’s hot after two children.’

Max agreed. What was Trudi talking about? Mum was old.

‘When did you actually hit it off?’ Trudi asked.

‘I was eighteen,’ Mum said. ‘Shane was working in the forest and I was at the hardware store. We were down at the pub after a footy game and everyone was off their faces. Shane scored the winning goal, so he was the hero. We were playing pool, then he brushed past me and I lost concentration.’ Mum laughed. ‘Maybe he did it to put me off, because I lost with that shot—I went in-off the black. But he kissed me, and I liked it. We went up to the park and it was on for young and old. On the bridge with the creek running under us.’

‘How romantic.’ Trudi had a smile in her voice, but Max thought it sounded soppy.