Chapter 83

“Where’s Tav?”

“He’ll be at school.”

“But he’s coming later, right?”

“Aye. Every afternoon. Driving his mother up the wall, apparently refusing to go to school every morning and she’s having to bully him into it.”

Luca laughed feebly. His chest wouldn’t open up for it, so it was more of a cough, but it didn’t hurt, and Dad sniggered quietly, like those times he’d let them have beer at Christmas when Mamma’s back was turned. Wine was okay. Beer wasn’t.

“Can I have a lager when we go home?”

Dad’s snort was very low. “Go to sleep, you little berk. And no, you can’t. You’ll be on more drugs when you go home.”

“What about wine?”

“No. Jesus, you’re definitely coming out of it…”

Luca tuned him out, and let himself drift. The curtains were humming, low and menacing, like a hive of angry wasps, but it was okay.

Dad was here.

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