The Family

Adam snatched it, scrunching it in his little fist.

‘Smart kid,’ Robert observed with a soundless laugh. His eyes narrowed on her as he noticed she looked to be on the point of crying. ‘Are you going to come in for a minute?’

She shook her head, stroking Adam’s face to soothe his whimpering while simultaneously trying to prise open his fingers to rescue the money before it got torn.

‘Do you want a drink?’

‘No thanks.’

‘Tea? Coffee?’

‘Milk.’

They both looked at Adam.

‘Drink of milk,’ he piped up again, then turned shy and dropped his chin. ‘Please,’ he whispered and peeped up at Robert from beneath long baby lashes.

‘Well mannered, too,’ Rob said. ‘He didn’t get that from Jimmy.’

‘He got it from me,’ Faye stated tartly.

‘Yeah … I can believe that.’ He took her arm and steered her up the steps.

‘Do you live here alone?’

‘Mostly,’ he said, watching for her reaction as he stuck the key in the lock.

‘It’s a big house … a family house.’

‘Yeah … there’s plenty of room.’

Faye’s eyes slipped to his and then swerved away. She regretted her comment. He thought she was hinting there was enough room for her. ‘I’m going back to Kent to live,’ she blurted. ‘Soon as I can, I’m moving out of The Bunk, and going right far away from here.’

‘I grew up chanting that phrase.’ He ushered her into the hallway, taking her elbow to propel her forward when she seemed reluctant to move across the threshold.

‘It’s nice,’ Faye said, looking about. It was an absurd understatement, considering what she’d been used to. The hallway was spacious and uncluttered. The air smelled vaguely of lavender polish and, having registered the scent, her eyes darted to the gleaming mahogany furniture set back against the walls. ‘You’ve got a char?’

‘No. I keep it clean.’ He gave a slightly diffident smile. ‘Comes from growing up in a shithole, I expect … Sorry,’ he muttered, noting her frown at his language and look at the child.

‘Milk …’ Adam said, struggling to break free. The new environment seemed to keep him amused and he toddled from place to place before settling on his knees on the patterned rug that stretched the length of the passageway.

‘Are you going to sit down for a moment, or d’you intend to stand there making the place look untidy?’

Faye gave a tiny laugh. ‘Thanks very much.’ Her amusement faded. ‘Can’t stop long; it’s almost time Adam was in bed and it’s a bit of a trek.’

‘I’ll take you back,’ Rob said, lightly amused. ‘Did you think I’d let you walk?’

‘I didn’t think about it. Anyway, why would you want to go out when you’ve just this minute got home?’

‘Because I’ve got manners too, just don’t always remember to use them,’ he ruefully admitted as he walked off towards the back of the house. ‘I’ll get a cup of milk for him.’

‘His name’s Adam. You might as well remember that. He is your stepbrother, after all.’

‘And who d’you think you are? My sister?’ he sent over a shoulder.

He returned with a cup of milk and gave it to the boy, who gulped greedily at it. Faye quickly went to him, worried Adam might spill some on the beautiful rug. Surreptitiously she felt his bottom in case he’d wet himself. He had and she lifted him quickly on to his feet and took the cup from him. A dark ring remained where his bottom had been.

‘Thanks … we’ve got to go now.’ She looked about for somewhere to deposit the beaker and gingerly placed it on a glass-like wooden surface. Her eyes returned to the stain on the rug and she looked up to find Rob watching her. He knew and was waiting to see if she’d got manners and would own up. ‘Sorry … Adam’s had a little accident.’ She moistened her lips. ‘It’s not much. I shouldn’t have let him have a drink. It’s my fault.’

‘Don’t worry, it happens,’ he said. ‘D’you think of me as a brother?’

‘Have you got a cloth? I’ll just mop it up. It won’t stain if we’re quick,’ she said, turning about on the spot as though she’d willingly fetch a rag herself if he pointed her in the right direction.

‘Fuck the rug!’ Robert exploded beneath his breath. ‘Do you think of me as your brother?’

‘I think you ought to wash your mouth out with soap,’ she snapped, glaring at him. Taking Adam by the hand, she turned deliberately away from him.

‘That’s just the sort of thing a bloody sister would say.’

‘It’s just the sort of thing a bloodymother would say,’ Faye rounded on him. A moment later she’d turned her back on him again.

‘Well, you were obviously luckier in your mother than I was in mine,’ he said through his teeth. He wrenched open the front door. ‘Come on then … let’s go.’

FIVE

‘Would you stop in Seven Sisters Road?’

‘Yeah … I was going to anyway.’

‘Thanks,’ Faye mumbled.

It was almost dusk and she was glad of the cover of twilight. Sometimes, in the early evenings, Jimmy would hang about with a pal outside, chatting by the railings, or drinking beer. If he were brassic and feeling particularly in need of a friend, he’d share his bottle with a passer-by to get himself a conversation. Faye didn’t want her stepfather seeing her getting out of his son’s car. He’d want to know all the ins and outs, especially her reason for seeking Robert out. But the area looked unusually quiet, probably because a light drizzle had started. Just a few people, dressed lightly for summer, were hurrying into Campbell Road with their heads down as if to avoid getting wet. She watched the windscreen wipers arc across the glass before Robert turned off the engine and they sat for a moment in silence with the rain pattering on the car roof. It was a somnolent sound and Faye drew a breath, settled back, and sighed. She felt warm, strangely serene, cocooned against the dismal reality of what awaited outside. Soon a pulse in the atmosphere was spoiling her contentment and she remembered the hostility between them.

‘Thanks for the lift.’ Her fingers fumbled for the door handle and she shifted Adam on her lap. When they’d started out, the boy had been fractious and Robert had said, not unkindly considering the grim expression that had accompanied the statement, he would take a roundabout route to get him off to sleep. It had worked. The rocking motion of the car had soon had his little lids fluttering. She’d smiled inwardly as they’d sped along and almost felt inclined to ask how he knew that handy trick, but the memory of their cross words had made her keep her thoughts to herself.

‘Take it. I want you to have it.’

Faye turned her head to see him thrusting the five-pound note at her.

‘Go on, take it. My contribution to your escape fund.’ He folded the note and stuck it into the breast pocket of her jacket, withdrawing his fingers quickly. ‘I know what it’s like to want to scarper from this slum. If you need any more, ask.’

‘Thanks,’ Faye said hoarsely. She felt guilty now that she’d too readily snapped at him for swearing. She’d felt embarrassed over Adam soiling the carpet, and had forgotten to warn him that Jimmy was trying to stir things up for him with Stephen.

‘I didn’t just come to give you back your money,’ she admitted. ‘You did me a favour over the tea-set. Even though it was your fault it got broken, you could’ve made things awkward for me by telling Mum you’d paid for it straight away.’ She looked up, an odd mixture of gratitude and aggression in her eyes. ‘I know you protected me, even though I never asked you to. So I wanted to do you a favour back.’ She frowned, wondering if she’d been too sensitive over it all. Would he think a conversation between his father and brother was none of her business and she’d no right to stick her nose in? ‘Stephen was in the road earlier today. I overheard Jimmy and him talking,’ she blurted, then paused to gauge his reaction. She saw that his eyes had narrowed in interest.

‘Go on,’ he encouraged.

‘I think Jimmy’ll cause trouble for you two, if he can. I’ve not known him that long: about a year and a half he’s been with my mum. But God knows it’s been long enough and I know he’s a malicious bugger. From what he was saying, I reckon he intends to try and play you off one against the other.’