‘Yeah, well, I don’t really want to think about it right now. Like I said, I don’t have money to part with for “admin fees” or whatever they’re asking for.’
‘They’re not, Mel. And look,’ he says, reaching out and taking her hand, ‘as your best mate, I hate seeing you so… so defensive all the time. I don’t just mean this letter. But whenever anyone tries to help, you put up your guard and shut them out. Even with me, these days.’
‘And why the hell not?’ she replies with a snort. ‘I’ve finally got myself into a place where I can just about keep my head above water, financially and emotionally. Money’s tight, but Kate and I are doing OK. I may not have got everything right in life, but I’m protective of how things are now. You know that better than anyone.’
Michael sighs. ‘Protective of how things are until…’ He purposefully trails off, doesn’t need to say what goes through Mel’s mind every single day. Until Billy gets out of prison…
‘Hey, what do you guys think?’ comes a chirpy voice, snapping Mel out of her thoughts. She and Michael turn to the kitchen doorway to see a beaming Kate standing there, new trainers on her feet.
‘Cool or what?’ she says, giving a twirl, holding her bunched-up chip papers.
‘They look amazing, love,’ Mel says, her heart warming.
Kate comes over, wrapping her arms around Mel. ‘I think I might even sleep in them,’ she says, laughing and kissing her mum’s cheek.
As Mel hugs her daughter back, she glances at Michael over Kate’s shoulder, unable to help the little sigh as they each exchange a knowing look.
Six
‘Ah, Melanie,’ Josette says, her glossy dark bob and harsh fringe in sharp contrast against her pale skin. ‘Finally,’ she says, glancing at her watch.
‘Morning, Josette,’ Mel replies breathlessly. ‘Sorry I’m a bit late. The traffic was awful. I’ll work through my lunch hour, don’t worry.’
Josette pauses, looking Mel up and down. ‘Oh, I’m not worried.’ She forces a smile. ‘Come with me, please.’
‘Er… sure,’ Mel replies, hesitating before following Josette as she strides off down the corridor.
Finally, she stops outside the door to the staff room. Josette stares at it, then she stares at Mel, waiting for her to open it. Despite her hands being full with her packed lunch, clean uniform and her handbag, Mel pushes the door open and lets Josette pass through before following her in.
It’s a bland room with pale green decor, divided up into a locker area and a relaxation zone with a few clinical armchairs for taking breaks. There’s a kettle, a fridge for lunches, some magazines, a couple of plants that no one remembers to water. It’s nothing like as luxurious as the residents’ areas, but it does the job.
‘Over here, please,’ Josette says, striding towards the lockers. That’s when Mel sees Stacy Fearn, the HR manager, and Amit Basu, general manager of The Cedars. Their faces are deadpan and serious, not returning Mel’s smile, even though they’re usually friendly. As a single parent too, Amit has always been sympathetic to childcare difficulties, allowing Mel to bring Kate in to work occasionally when Josette’s away. Kate has even helped out with the residents a few times.
‘She has a way about her, that girl of yours,’ Amit had said just the other day as he spotted Mel watching Kate fondly, proudly. ‘There’s a holiday job waiting for her when she’s older,’ he’d continued.
Kate wasn’t aware that Mel was in the doorway of Bob’s room as she knelt down, helping him get his shoes on before their walk. Bob was recounting tales of his time in the Navy, how he’d been on submarines and aircraft carriers all over the world.
‘I’ll take over from here now, Kate,’ Mel had finally said, not wanting to interrupt the tender moment. Josette was due back at the care home soon and she didn’t want to get a dressing-down for allowing Kate to help. There was bound to be some health and safety or insurance reason why Kate shouldn’t even be on the premises, let alone helping out. But Kate had gone off happily enough to wait in the staff room, giving Bob a glance and a smile over her shoulder as she left.
‘Stacy, Amit, hi…’ Mel says nervously now. The tension in the atmosphere is palpable.
‘Morning, Mel,’ Amit manages, but Stacy just offers a flicker of a smile, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.
‘Which is your locker, Melanie?’ Josette says, though each are clearly labelled. Mel’s especially stands out, as Kate made a sign for hers, decorated with big, bright letters.
‘This one,’ Mel says, forcing herself not to add obviously. She glances between the three faces, only Josette’s showing no emotion.
‘Would you open it for us, please?’ Josette says.
‘What… why?’ Mel asks, unable to hide her indignance.
‘Just open it, Melanie.’
Mel shrugs, rummaging in her bag for the key to the padlock.
‘There,’ she says, opening the metal door. ‘Can I ask what this is about?’ She looks at Josette, who ignores her, and then to Amit and finally Stacy, whose expressions give nothing away.
‘Remove your belongings,’ Josette says, her tone flat.
‘But… OK, sure,’ Mel says, shrugging again. ‘Excuse the junk in here. It’s due a good clean-out, but I always have to dash off for Kate, and—’
‘All of it,’ Josette says, impatience creeping in.
Mel’s eyes widen and she pauses, shaking her head briefly before pulling out a spare pair of work shoes – ugly, rubber-soled things she hates wearing, but which save her feet by the end of a shift. She drops them onto the floor. Then she takes out a carrier bag of old sports clothes from when she’d decided to get fit in her lunch break a couple of months ago. The daily runs lasted less than a week, and she’d forgotten to take her kit home to wash.
Josette takes the bag from her as she’s about to drop it on the floor. She peers inside and makes a repulsed face, letting it fall.
‘Oh, this is where it got to!’ Mel says, rolling her eyes. ‘I was looking for it everywh—’ She stops when Josette snatches the denim jacket from her, checking inside the two top pockets before also dropping it on the floor.
Mel folds her arms across her chest, frowning. ‘Josette, I don’t mind showing you the contents of my locker…’ She hesitates, eyeing the crisp packets and old tissues, wishing she’d had a bit of warning. ‘But can you tell me what this is about? Are you checking everyone’s lockers?’
‘No, just yours,’ Josette says, her eyes fixed on the inside of the locker. ‘The rest, please.’
Mel sighs. ‘Okaaay…’ she says, perplexed as she pulls out a folded uniform tunic, a paperback she’d only half read, a mandala colouring book that Kate was amusing herself with last time she was here and, finally, a small nylon zip-up bag that, if Mel was perfectly honest, could contain absolutely anything.
‘What’s in that?’ Josette demands.
‘I’m guessing my black sparkly top,’ Mel replies, knowing it’s the only smart thing she owns, even though it’s a bit small now. ‘I was going to go to Barb’s drinks party but couldn’t make it in the end. Shows how much I go out. I’d forgotten this was even—’