Page 107 of When We Are Old

With a rueful laugh, I went out back and pulled on the overalls, determined to not get any of the white silk paint in my hair this time.

Halfway out to the farm my phone rang, Julie’s name flashing on the dash of the car. Cursing, I pulled to the side of the road, knowing I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the road and maintain battle in a conversation with her.

“What?” I snapped.

“Jack’s sick again.”

I sighed and leant my head back, pinching the bridge of my nose with one hand while the other squeezed the life out of the steering wheel.

“Julie. You’ve got to stop this.”

“Stop what?” Her voice grated inside my brain, turning my grey matter to useless shavings of flesh. ‘I’m being serious, Matthew. His temp is scorching. I’m thinking I might take him to the hospital.”

My blood chilled. “Anything else wrong? Sensitive to light? Trouble moving his neck?”

“No, no, just his temp.”

I paused, unsure what to do. “I’ve got a meeting…” hesitation ran through me. I didn’t trust her to be sensible if something was actually wrong. “I’ll be there in forty minutes.”

“Okay, Matt. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

I grumbled as I hung up, not bothering to say goodbye as I flicked the indicator and prepared to turn across the main road. Hitting the speed dial on the dash, I called Ronnie, but she didn’t answer so I left a voice mail.

The traffic snaked in a long slow crawl on the way back into town. Friday weekenders arriving for a night in the city. I drummed the wheel, wishing that I headed anywhere other than Julie's.

I needed to speak to my solicitor again, see how things were moving. My skin prickled along the back of my neck when I thought of how manipulative she was. Probably better I got the boys. Maybe if Jack was okay, we could drive down to Ronnie’s.

Drive? I’d officially lost my mind. Ten hours in a car just so I could lay my hands on her?

In frustration I beeped my horn at the traffic. It didn’t take the edge off.

Ronnie’s name flashed up and I answered. “Hey.”

“Jack’s sick, or Julie is playing?”

“Hard to tell.” I sighed, wishing anything else were true. “Can you and Hannah come here? I’ll book you some flights?”

Ronnie hesitated. “She’s got a party, Matthew. I can’t ask her to not go.”

“Okay. That’s all?”

Jesus, my suspicion meter was faulty today.

“I feel a bit under the weather.”

“Oh, well maybe Jack is sick. You both could have picked something up last weekend.” I pulled a face, hating the fact that Julie may have been telling the truth.

“Maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced.

My turning came up and I indicated to turn left. “I’ll ring once I’ve seen Jack, let you know what it is.”

“Okay.” A fraction of a pause made my heart stutter. “Matthew. I really need to talk to you.”

“I know. You can talk to me now. You’re freaking me out a bit.” I tried to laugh it off in the most unconvincing way known to man, involving a voice crack and a cough to clear the frog in my throat.

She chuckled softly down the phone and sighed, and I clutched onto the sound.

“It’s hard this dating with kids thing isn’t it?” I said as I watched a Volvo cut in front of me, not bothering to sound my horn in annoyance.