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moan.”
    Not quite how I’d have put it, but I nodded anyway. “They all moan because it’s not nice language, Ruby. You wouldn’t see me or Nanna going into your school, or the cafe, or the shop and saying bad words, would you? That’s not what people do, sweetheart, it’s not how people behave.”
    Contrary blue eyes met mine. “ Dad would. Dad went into the shop and told Mr Evans to shut his stupid bleeping mouth, remember?” She smiled triumphantly.
    Lord help me.
    “Yeah, and then your dad had to buy his cigarettes from Allensmore for a month, remember? Who was butt-upset then, hey?” I brushed cake crumbs from my top. “I’ll tell you who. It was your dad.”
    She was quiet for a while before she offered out her little finger. “I won’t say bad words at school again, Mum. Pinky promise.”
    It melted my heart as I linked my finger with hers.
    I turned to Mia, but she was staring at the table top. “How was your day, poppet?”
    She barely shrugged her shoulders. “Alright.”
    “Just alright?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Want to talk about it?” Ruby’s morning revelation was twisting in my belly. “You can talk about it, Mia, if something’s bothering you. You know that, right?”
    “Yeah, I know,” she said.
    “Are you having problems?”
    She shook her head. “The boys on the bus are idiots, that’s all.” She sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”
    “It does matter. If they’re upsetting you then it definitely matters.”
    “Nah,” she insisted. “It’s just Tyler Dean and he’s a jerk. Everyone knows it.” She met my eyes. “I’m alright.”
    “If you’re sure.” I finished up my cupcake and reached for a second, noting with amusement that the stash had already been decimated. Nanna always cooks twelve, but there were only two left and a smattering of crumbs for good measure. “You two have done quite a number on Nanna’s cakes.” I laughed. “I’d better eat quick before they’re all gone.”
    Nanna came to my side, and her eyes were twinkling. “Oh no, it wasn’t the girls, not this time,” she said. She nudged me with her elbow. “It was Darren. He polished off quite a few of them.”
    My stomach did a lurch as I stared up at her. “Darren was here ? Actually in here?”
    The anger from earlier bubbled up again. Selfish prick, not giving a toss for anything, causing so much shit for us all.
    She nodded. “Brought the girls home nice and early with some chips for tea.” She smiled. “He fixed the washing machine for you.”
    For me . She always adds pointed little extras like that.
    I looked over at the pile of washing I’d abandoned on the kitchen floor, and the stack of whites was definitely smaller. Sure enough, the little green light was flashing on the machine, load finished. My cheeks burned at the thought of him going through the underwear pile. I’d had my tatty grey-white apple-catchers piled up in there, probably even some period-bloody ones…
    The blonde bitch from the garage came into my mind. Her stupid tanned legs, so fucking perfect .
    Nanna’s smile was sly. “Took him an age, it did. Had the whole thing apart. He cleaned up after, though.” I waited for it. “He’s a good one, your Darren.”
    “He’s not my Darren,” I said for the millionth time. And he’s not a good one. He’s a fucking arsehole. I bit my tongue.
    She put a hand on my shoulder. “You know what I mean, love. Figure of speech.”
    I sighed. “I only mentioned the washing machine to him in passing.” Right before I told him I couldn’t count on him.
    I got up and pulled the washing from the drum, and it was perfect, not a chewed-up sock in sight. Sure enough, there were my granny pants. The sight made me cringe.
    “He must have come straight round, then. As soon as he could,” Nanna pointed out. Like it was needed.
    Yes. Yes, he must have.
    Our altercation came back into my mind. The way Porsche-bitch had looked at me, the way he’d looked at me, worried about the