Page 74 of When We Are Old

Lennie cackled and my right temple winced, still not forgiving of the night before. “Ha, no. I’ll leave you to ask him why.”

That’s a sure sign if ever there was, not to ask anything at all.

“So you come here in the hope to get yourself a baby boy and to…”

She signed and turned for me, her expression pensive. “Because Julie’s a fucking bitch and she will be here, holed up at the bar, making herself at home and then the boys will get confused and want Matthew to stay with her while she gets bladdered all afternoon.”

“Oh.” I turned and glanced over my shoulder. “She won’t come today, will she?” I didn’t know how I felt about a showdown with my old nemesis.

Although, to be fair, I doubted she had a clue who I was. Why would she? I was just the girl he once used to know, and I doubted very much that she remembered me.

“Nah, she’s hiding out at her parents pretending that Barb is ill so she doesn’t have to look after the kids.”

“Why doesn’t Matthew try for sole custody if she’s so unreliable?”

Lennie’s smile turned down at the corners. “Because she’s always made him believe he’s not good enough. That his dark moods aren’t safe.”

“What?” I puffed out my chest like a cock about to go into a fight. “He’s an amazing dad.”

“Aye, we all know. But she twists things. She’s a manipulative bitch. He should never have married her.”

“He wanted to help his dad though.”

Lennie bit down on her lower lip and shrugged.

“What?”

She scrunched her face. “Okay, that’s not all I heard. I heard she was weaving lies even back then.”

“Who told you?”

She shrugged.

“What lies?”

With a small smile she patted my gloved hand. “Listen, Ronnie. Don’t worry about it. You can’t change anything now. The best you can do is help him realise that he is more than capable of bringing those boys up without her poison.” She shook her head. “She’s not right, Ronnie. I worry about what she will do some days.”

“To the boys?”

“No.” Her words chilled my stomach and my teeth chattered. “No. To Matthew. She just won’t let him go. You need to remember that: for him, for the boys.”

“I will. Thank you. Although,’ I forced a giggle, “you’ve freaked me the fuck out.”

“What has?” I breathed out an extended sigh as Matthew jogged up to my side. His face flushed with the sting of the cold. Matthew after running up and down the side of a rugby pitch was a spank bank memory I would store for the rest of my life.

He pressed his cold nose into my cheek, and I wanted to lick it like an ice lolly. Not the only thing I wanted to lick. Porno Ronnie missed out on make-up sex due to being off her tits—I needed a fix.

“I’ve been telling Ronnie here what the match will be like later.”

Matthew gave his best attempt at glowering from under his dark brows, but the wide smile underwrote his sterling effort. “Ryan still feeling poorly, is he, Lennie?”

“He’ll be back to whip your arse under the table later.” She bolstered herself, crossing her arms.

“No need.” Matthew held his hand out in defence. “We’ve got a family dinner later, so we won’t be getting wasted.”

“Family dinner?” I lifted an eyebrow.

“Sure. The boys want sausages. That okay with you?”