One Night Only (5 page)

I
t
wa
s
a
bi
g
par
t
o
f
it
,
though
t
Poll
y
,
bu
t
sh
e
didn
’
t
wan
t
t
o
ru
b
sal
t
i
n
th
e
wounds
.
Sh
e
coul
d
se
e
i
t
wa
s
a
sore point
.

“No
t
onl
y
that,
”
sh
e
said
.
“It
’
s
lik
e
there
’
s
bee
n
a
blackout
i
n
ou
r
r
e
l
a
t
i
onship
.
W
e
neve
r
d
o
anythin
g
togethe
r
any
more
.
Remembe
r
th
e
time
s
whe
n
w
e
use
d
t
o
g
o
ou
t
for
dinn
e
r
,
o
r
e
v
e
n
c
a
t
c
h
a
mo
vie
,
o
r
eve
n
hav
e
a
laug
h
about somethin
g
th
e
kid
s
ha
d
sai
d
o
r
done
?
It
’
s
lik
e
it
’
s
al
l
gone.
It
’
s
lik
e
wha
t
w
e
ha
d
i
s
dea
d
an
d
gone.
”

“Don
’
t
na
g
me
,
Poll
y
.
Y
o
u
kno
w
I
hat
e
nagging
.
It
’
s
thi
s
constan
t
yak-yak-yakkin
g
ever
y
tim
e
yo
u
g
o
o
n
one o
f
you
r
dee
p
an
d
meaningfu
l
rants
.
I’
m
honestl
y
no
t
i
n
the mood
.
O
h
fo
r
fuc
k
sake
,
kettle
,
hurr
y
up!
”

H
e
ha
d
shoute
d
loude
r
tha
n
h
e
ha
d
eve
r
don
e
i
n
her compan
y
an
d
i
t
frightene
d
he
r
.

“
W
oul
d
yo
u
kee
p
you
r
voic
e
down?
”
sh
e
said
.
“What th
e
hel
l
ha
s
go
t
int
o
you?
”

Sh
e
looke
d
a
t
he
r
husband
,
barel
y
recognisin
g
th
e
man i
n
fron
t
o
f
he
r
an
y
more
.
Y
es
,
h
e
wa
s
a
littl
e
greye
r
round
the
temples
as
the
strains
of being
thirty-something
set
in.
Hi
s
laughte
r
line
s
ra
n
a
littl
e
deepe
r
tha
n
before
,
hi
s
eyes
crease
d
u
p
a
bi
t
more
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
i
n
hi
s
eye
s
sh
e
sa
w
a
chang
e
tha
t
ag
e
ha
d
nothin
g
t
o
d
o
with
.
Hi
s
beautiful brow
n
eye
s
tha
t
alway
s
mad
e
he
r
hear
t
swoo
n
were empt
y
an
d
lifeles
s
an
d
sh
e
jus
t
couldn
’
t
ge
t
hi
m
t
o
say
wha
t
coul
d
possibl
y
b
e
wrong
.

O
n
pape
r
the
y
ha
d
i
t
al
l
–
a
comfortabl
e
lifestyl
e
in
middle-clas
s
Ardglas
s
V
illas
,
a
circl
e
o
f
friend
s
tha
t
were
a
mixtur
e
o
f
ol
d
school-friend
s
an
d
famil
y
,
an
d
most importantl
y
thre
e
health
y
adorabl
e
boy
s
wh
o
idolised
them
.

Poll
y
an
d
Jame
s
wer
e
th
e
cardboar
d
cut-ou
t
picture- perfec
t
coupl
e
o
f
Cranmore
,
th
e
rura
l
Iris
h
villag
e
where
the
y
ha
d
bot
h
grow
n
up
.
Everyon
e
kne
w
the
m
an
d
everyone
love
d
the
m
an
d
the
y
use
d
t
o
hav
e
suc
h
fu
n
togethe
r
.
Th
e
y
use
d
t
o
b
e
a
s
tigh
t
a
s
a
drum
.

Bu
t
no
w
,
behin
d
close
d
doors
,
i
t
wa
s
a
ver
y
different picture
.
No
w
,
i
n
thei
r
ow
n
homel
y
kitche
n
wit
h
it
s
Aga
an
d
America
n
fridg
e
wit
h
it
s
funk
y
magnet
s
an
d
children
’
s
drawing
s
an
d
al
l
th
e
trimming
s
o
f
a
white-picket-fence
lifestyl
e
surroundin
g
them
,
the
y
stoo
d
lik
e
stranger
s
with
a
worl
d
o
f
differenc
e
betwee
n
them
.