One Night Only (241 page)

O
h
ye
s
h
e
was.

Ever
y
secon
d
o
f
th
e
pai
n
the
y
pu
t
he
r
throug
h
was
wort
h
tha
t
on
e
dirt
y
weeken
d a
mont
h
whe
n
sh
e
could
serv
e
hi
m
breakfas
t
i
n
be
d
i
n
nothin
g
bu
t
he
r
undies
,
or withou
t
the
m
o
n
i
f
th
e
moo
d
wa
s
right.

H
e
wa
s
wort
h
i
t
unti
l
Am
y
an
d
Jac
k
cam
e
bac
k
home an
d
tol
d
he
r
ho
w
sh
e
stan
k
o
f
chip
s
fro
m
th
e
caf
é
and tha
t
he
r
homemad
e
sou
p
looke
d
an
d
taste
d
lik
e
vomit. Endearin
g
littl
e
beings
,
the
y
were
.
S
o
endearin
g . . .

But
,
somewher
e
i
n
th
e
fa
r
corne
r
o
f
he
r
ver
y
generous
heart
,
ther
e
wa
s a
littl
e
spac
e
tha
t
ha
d
Jac
k
an
d
Amy
’
s
name
s
writte
n
o
n
i
t
an
d
i
n
tim
e
Natali
e
kne
w
tha
t
that
spac
e
woul
d
gro
w
an
d
gro
w
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
lear
n
t
o
love
the
m
unconditionall
y
,
a
s
i
f
the
y
wer
e
th
e
fruit
s
o
f
her ow
n
loins
.
Eve
n
if
,
i
n
Amy
’
s
case
,
tha
t
mean
t
listenin
g
to
Justi
n
Biebe
r
o
n
repea
t
an
d
wit
h
Jac
k
i
t
mean
t
cheering
fro
m
th
e
sideline
s
a
s
h
e
kicke
d a
bal
l
roun
d a
muddy
fiel
d
o
n
col
d
winte
r
Saturda
y
mornings
.
Th
e
lov
e
would
come
,
i
n
time
,
sh
e
wa
s
sure.

Other
s
weren
’
t
s
o
sure
,
especiall
y
he
r
mothe
r
.

“I
t
won
’
t
com
e
i
n
tim
e
an
d
it
’
s
abou
t
tim
e
yo
u
found
a
ma
n
o
f
you
r
ow
n
an
d
though
t
abou
t
havin
g
you
r
own children,
”
sh
e
woul
d
rant
,
o
n a
mor
e
tha
n
regula
r
basis.
“
Y
ou’r
e
nothin
g
bu
t a
slav
e
t
o
tha
t
man
. A
slave
.
He probabl
y
though
t
h
e
ha
d
die
d
an
d
gon
e
t
o
heave
n
when
h
e
me
t a
sof
t
touc
h
lik
e
you.”

“
I
a
m
no
t
a
slave
,
Mum
.
I
jus
t
lik
e
t
o
hel
p
hi
m
out
wit
h
hi
s
children,
”
Natali
e
woul
d
sa
y
defensivel
y
.
“And i
t
wa
s
hi
s
wif
e
wh
o
die
d
an
d
wen
t
t
o
heaven
,
no
t
him. Plu
s
I
se
e
hi
m
ver
y
muc
h
a
s
m
y
ow
n
an
d
thos
e
kid
s
come a
s
par
t
o
f
th
e
package
,
s
o
the
y
do
.
They’r
e
no
t
mine
,
no, bu
t
the
y
ar
e
Dougie
’
s
an
d
I
lov
e
hi
m
mor
e
tha
n
anything s
o
I
hav
e
t
o
accep
t
the
m
too
.
En
d
of.”

“
W
ell
,
I’v
e
sai
d
i
t
befor
e
an
d
I’l
l
sa
y
i
t
again,
”
Delia McKenn
a
woul
d
chant
,
he
r
chubb
y
ankle
s
stacke
d
on to
p
o
f
he
r
flora
l
footstoo
l
i
n
he
r
favourit
e
pe
w
i
n
front o
f
th
e
television
,
“yo
u
ar
e
denyin
g
you
r
ow
n
womanly right
s
b
y
no
t
havin
g
childre
n
an
d I
wil
l
neve
r
tir
e
of tellin
g
yo
u
so
.
Y
o
u
wil
l
onl
y
realis
e
i
t
whe
n
it
’
s
to
o
late an
d
yo
u
won
’
t
b
e
abl
e
t
o
sa
y
tha
t I
didn
’
t
le
t
yo
u
kno
w
.” Give
n
th
e
chance
,
Deli
a
woul
d
hav
e
reminde
d
Natalie o
n
th
e
hou
r
ever
y
hou
r
tha
t
a
t
“almos
t
thirty-five
”
her biologica
l
cloc
k
wa
s
beyon
d
tickin
g
an
d
wa
s
now screamin
g
a
t
he
r
t
o
ge
t a
gri
p
an
d
sto
p
takin
g
th
e
piss.

Which
,
i
n
fairness
,
i
t
was
.
O
h
goo
d
Go
d
i
t
was.

T
oda
y
,
bein
g
‘almos
t
thirt
y
five
’
ha
d
becom
e a
saying
of the past and the dreaded age had come around, much
t
o
he
r
disma
y
.
Sh
e
woul
d
no
w
,
i
f
th
e
tim
e
eve
r
cam
e
for he
r
t
o
giv
e
birt
h
t
o
he
r
ow
n
child
,
b
e
officiall
y
know
n
as a
n
‘olde
r
mother’
.
Sh
e
hate
d
tha
t
phrase
.
I
t
sounded freakish
,
unnatural
,
ancien
t
even
.
Sh
e
ha
d
rea
d
the
‘
Ove
r
-3
5
Olde
r
Mothers
’
website
s
an
d
pamphlet
s
i
n
the doctor
’
s
surger
y
.
Sh
e
woul
d
b
e
classe
d
a
s a
sa
d
weirdo wh
o
go
t
calle
d
‘granny
’
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
gate
s
instea
d
of
‘mummy
’
an
d
he
r
poo
r
chil
d
woul
d
b
e
tease
d
and taunte
d
abou
t
mummy
’
s
greyin
g
hai
r
o
r
frump
y
clothes. Th
e
ver
y
though
t
itsel
f
wa
s
enoug
h
t
o
sen
d
Natali
e
into
a
pani
c
an
d
head-spin.