One Night Only (26 page)

“Melanie
?
Cinema?
”
sh
e
aske
d
again
,
feelin
g
defeated alread
y
.

“Nah,
”
wa
s
he
r
repl
y
an
d
sh
e
giggle
d
a
t
whatever
messag
e
sh
e
jus
t
receive
d
o
n
he
r
phone
.
Nah
.
No
t
eve
n
a
‘no
t
i
n
th
e
mood
’
o
r
a
‘there
’
s
somethin
g
goo
d
o
n
telly’.
Jus
t
nah
.
S
o
muc
h
fo
r
qualit
y
tim
e
an
d
makin
g
a
n
effort t
o
kee
p
th
e
line
s
o
f
communicatio
n
opene
d
betwee
n
mother an
d
daughte
r
.
N
o
matte
r
wha
t
Rut
h
suggested
,
Melanie woul
d
answe
r
wit
h
a
nonchalan
t
‘nah’
.
He
r
counsello
r
had
advise
d
o
n
th
e
importanc
e
o
f
‘communication
’
an
d
‘quality
time
’
afte
r
he
r
fathe
r
lef
t
the
m
tw
o
year
s
ago
,
bu
t
Ruth
’
s
effort
s
wer
e
rarel
y
rewarded
.

“D
o
yo
u
fanc
y
pizz
a
fo
r
te
a
then?
”
sh
e
tried
,
hoping fo
r
a
mor
e
fulfillin
g
response
.
“
W
e
coul
d
g
o
t
o
tha
t
nice
plac
e
i
n
town
?
Y
o
u
kno
w
,
th
e
on
e
wit
h
th
e
waite
r
wit
h
the wonk
y
eyes?
”

Melani
e
shrugged
.
N
o
word
s
thi
s
time
,
jus
t
a
laz
y
shrug.
Sh
e
wrappe
d
a
thro
w
aroun
d
he
r
bar
e
leg
s
an
d
continued t
o
star
e
a
t
he
r
phone
.
I
t
wa
s
th
e
sam
e
thin
g
ever
y
da
y
since
the
y
ha
d
move
d
here
.
Melanie
’
s
phon
e
wa
s
a
permanent barrie
r
betwee
n
them
,
lik
e
a
wal
l
tha
t
Rut
h
ha
d
t
o
jump
ove
r
befor
e
sh
e
go
t
he
r
daughter
’
s
attention
.

“Melanie!
”
sai
d
Rut
h
i
n a
prope
r
‘I’
m
you
r
mothe
r
so hav
e
manners
’
voice.

“What?
”
sh
e
asked
,
a
s
i
f
Rut
h
ha
d
interrupte
d
an intimat
e
conversatio
n
wit
h
Chri
s
Marti
n
fro
m
Coldpla
y
. Melanie
was
prime
time
in
love
with
him.
Not
a
crush.
In
prope
r
,
like
,
love
,
like
.
Melani
e
sai
d
‘
like
’
a
lot
.

“
I
hav
e
jus
t
aske
d
yo
u
tw
o
question
s
an
d
yo
u
barely answere
d
me!
”

“
I
did!
”
sh
e
said
,
puttin
g
o
n
th
e
headphone
s
o
f
her iPo
d
s
o
sh
e
coul
d
liste
n
t
o
something
,
anythin
g
othe
r
than he
r
mother
’
s
voice
.

“Melanie
!
I
a
m
speakin
g
t
o
you!
”

“An
d
I
answere
d
you!
”
sh
e
snappe
d
i
n
he
r
strong Cockne
y
accent
,
the
n
gav
e
th
e
kin
d
o
f
dee
p
sig
h
tha
t
only
a
teenag
e
gir
l
ca
n
give
.
“
I
can
’
t
b
e
arse
d
wit
h
th
e
cinema an
d
I
ha
d
pizz
a
a
t
lunc
h
time
.
Y
o
u
nee
d
you
r
root
s
done, b
y
th
e
wa
y
.
”

Rut
h
breathe
d
i
n
an
d
ou
t
o
f
he
r
nostrils
,
rathe
r
drago
n
-
lik
e
a
s
Melani
e
stare
d
a
t
he
r
hai
r
whic
h
t
o
b
e
fai
r
,
had
see
n
bette
r
days
.
Sh
e
ha
d
los
t
interes
t
i
n
he
r
appearance
an
d
th
e
stres
s
o
f
th
e
mov
e
fro
m
Englan
d
t
o
the
backwater
s
o
f
Cranmor
e
ha
d
reall
y
take
n
u
p
al
l
he
r
time an
d
energ
y
,
no
t
t
o
mentio
n
th
e
worr
y
o
f
no
w
bein
g
so
clos
e
t
o
he
r
mothe
r
an
d
feelin
g
th
e
urg
e
t
o
brea
k
down th
e
barrier
s
o
f
th
e
pas
t
b
y
payin
g
he
r
a
visit
.