“Are you sitting down?” Lauren is managing to whisper again.
“Yes,” I reply. She is officially scaring the bejeezus out of me now.
Lauren takes a huge gulp.
“This morning I went to your house with my dad. You’d already gone to Bradley’s place. My dad went in first and I got his toolbox from the car. When I went in your front door, I saw YOUR MUM AND MY DAD TOGETHER, AND THEY WERE KISSING!”
I take a moment. I ask Lauren if she’s sure they were kissing.
Lauren does a little laugh. “Unless she was flossing his teeth, they were kissing.”
I still can’t get my head around all of this. I wonder if Lauren has been sleeping well recently. Tiredness can make you see things that aren’t there. Also, if you spend loads of time on your phone, you can end up hallucinating. That must be what happened. There is no way on earth that my mum, who is pure strength and sense on two legs with magnificent chunky thighs that could crush steel, would go out with Lauren’s dad. No offense to him, but he’s like a fog. Though opposites do sometimes attract. There’s a man down the street who has mismatched dogs—a Rottweiler and a Pomeranian. It does happen, but Rod and Mum would be far more bizarre than THAT.
Lauren whispers loudly, “I think my dad is listening. I’ve got to go. Let’s speak tomorrow.”
Lauren hangs up. Danny is also not there, but he’s sent me a message.
Did someone else call? Had to go anyway. Good to catch up. Speak SOON. D x
And then there’s four hearts.
No mention of love. Just emojis.
I curl up in my bed. I’m too tired to think of anything right now. I decide not to think about Danny and not to talk to Mum. It’s far too late. I’ll opt for ambushing her in the morning. I know before she’s had coffee she’ll admit to anything.