“Anne, it’s none of your business,” Tom said, “but when they asked me to run again in Eastbourne, I thought I was going to lose. My seat was so marginal, why would I think I’d win? I was doingConservative HQ a favor. And—shoot me if you wish—I didn’t think Jeremy Corbyn could be trusted with public money and the nuclear deterrent. Is Boris perfect? No, but he’s better than the alternative. It’s very tiring, yes,evenafter two weeks, and Marina’s furious, and everyone hates me.”
“You’re playing with fire putting a known liar in as leader. Boris lied his way to Brexit, and he lied his way to Number Ten,” Anne said. “Twice.”
Tom raised his hands. “I give up.”
“You seem to expect to be comfortable everywhere you go,” Anne said. “But the things you do and say have consequences, for the nation generally, and for you and for your family. And when that impacts Zora, that meansmyfamily.”
“For—” Tom pushed his chair back. “For heaven’s sake, Anne!”
Anne sat impassive as Tom stormed out of the room.
Coralie looked over at Tom’s son, giggling in the playpen. “Maybe Rup belongs to us now.”
“Don’t be silly, Coralie.”
“Tom’s out in the car.” Marina came in looking stunned. “And Zora wants to change her surname to Amin.”
“Good,” Anne said. “I don’t care. Whiteman was never my name. She should!”
“Marina?” Coralie said. “What’s happening with Zora?”
“We’re letting her choose where to be, at least for tonight and tomorrow.”
Anne shot out into the hallway, presumably to make her case.
Rup wouldn’t leave the playpen until Coralie gave Marina a mince pie to use as bait. “Embarrassing to give him a bribe,” Marina said.
“I want a bribe,” Florence cried, so Coralie gave her one too.
Finally, Marina and Rup left. Sally and Florence left. Alone for the first time in the entire day, Coralie lowered her head to the table. That was where Daniel found her when he came in with Max.
“Are you dead?”
“No, unfortunately.” Coralie sighed. “Hello, Maxi! Hello, Moo!” Max leaned out of Daniel’s arms and into Coralie’s. “Was that the first time you’ve had Max alone?”
“It was. It was crazy.”
“What was crazy about it?”
“I lay on the bed next to him and watched him. He wasn’t crying or anything. He was looking at me, looking at my mouth, my eyes, my whole face. I gave him Brown Bear, which you have in your bed still, like a loser.”
“You’re the loser,” she said automatically.
“And it was crazy to see him study it, look at Brown Bear’s fur, his eyes…”
“Why was it crazy?”
“I never realized babies had amind. That time worked on them, the same way it works on us. He was conscious. The seconds ticked by, the same for him as for me.”
Coralie stared at him, puzzled.
“She’s staying,” Anne announced from the door. “Zora’s staying with us!”
In the pantry, there was a rustling noise. “Oh no,” Coralie said.
A small brown shape was at the playpen, the table, the sink, then under the fridge. Coralie screamed.
Adam poked his head in. “What’s going on?”
