"rose . my decisions , i think ."
she shook her head , and a strand of hair worked loose .
"that cn't be . minty . we are all in this . we are his family ."
" and i am his widow ."
"how will you tell feix and lucas ? will you need help ?"
rose adopted the voice i sometimes heard in the office when either sam or poppy rang up . it was ultrasoothing . i used to think it rather silly and false until , fater i had had the twins . i realized it was a means of staving off panic .
"no ." my rejection of the idea was instant . i did not want her softness ansd comfort stealing children .
i glanced at my watche . increadibly . i had been here only three quartes of an hour or so . i wondered ( courtesy of gisela ) who else knew and was even now telephoning others , or the florist to order flowers . with deepest sympathy . i wondered if the clocks would stop . who would cry genuine tears , and who would not . i wondered if nathan had been a tiny bit ready . whether he had thought about his death at all . or if he was circling up there , cursing .
"why don't we sit with him ?" rose suggested ." he won't be here of much longer ."
i chose a chair close to the body . already nathan was drawing further away , much as his body must be stiffening " your children had thair childhood with him ." i was fierce with the unfairness for my boys ." mine won't ."
rose sat down on the sofa and her eyes met mine ." yes , minty , there was that ."
after a moment or two , rose began to talk about the old days when she was married to nathan . every yaer , they had gone on holiday to priac bay in cornwall , always to the same cottage .
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