‘My God, Sam. What’s happened to you that you don’t even care about your own family? What if we’d needed you? Your father would be heartbroken if he knew we mattered so little to you that you’d rather spend your time out partying or doing God knows what, rather than support your family.’ She had to play the Dad card. ‘You could’ve at least dressed yourself properly after sleeping with God only knows who.’ I didn’t think my mortification could creep any deeper. Wrong. My eyes dropped down and I was sickened to see I’d put my top on inside out. Betrayed by side seams. ‘Have you got a boyfriend, or is this what you do now you’re a big-city girl, go out and sleep with any guy who comes along? This would kill your father, you know that.’

I had mentioned to them I was going out to dinner when at the hospital earlier, but I’d embellished the truth somewhat and said it was with some of the girls to avoid the ‘boyfriend’ interrogation. Not my best call, it would now seem. I didn’t bother to mount a defence, or even an attempt at an offence. Besides my being too flabbergasted and embarrassed to speak, any effort would be futile. In my mother’s eyes, I was tarred, feathered and performing the chicken dance.

And there was no recovery from the chicken dance.

49

‘That was a nice atmosphere down there over breakfast. What did you do to piss your mother off this time?’ Maggie asked. We were in the relative sanctuary of the upstairs bathroom.

‘I think the fact I breathe pisses her off sometimes.’ I turned to face Maggs, rather than talk to her reflection in the mirror. ‘I know she’s worried about Dad, and I tend to cop the backlash sometimes, but hell, she sure knows how to turn on the guilt.’

‘You still haven’t answered my question.’

‘I got in a little late last night.’

‘How late is a little late?’

‘Half-two.’ I still cringed in the telling.

‘But you were out with Paul.’ A huge grin spread across her face. ‘Does that mean you two…?’

‘Ugh.’ I leaned my head against the wall, but slightly misjudged, so there was a fairly hefty bang.

‘What happened to Miss-I-don’t-screw-the-crew?’

‘It seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘But I take it from the look on your face, it’s not looking so good now.’

‘No. Yes. I don’t know.’ I set my toothbrush down on the counter, trying to corral my thoughts. ‘I got a bit carried away with the moment, and you know, things happen. I didn’t mean to.’

‘I didn’t mean to. Do you realise how juvenile that sounds?’