One Night Only (7 page)

Poll
y
though
t
o
f
he
r
husband
,
sittin
g
o
n
hi
s
familia
r
stool a
t
th
e
loca
l
pub
,
sippin
g
a
coo
l
pin
t
a
s
i
t
washe
d
hi
s
troubles awa
y
.
Sh
e
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
ru
n
awa
y
t
o
th
e
pu
b
whe
n
the
goin
g
go
t
tough
.
Sh
e
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
ru
n
awa
y
anywhere
sometime
s
an
d
neve
r
com
e
back
.
Bu
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
.
An
d
even
i
f
sh
e
could
,
sh
e
wouldn
’
t
.
.
.
woul
d
she
?

Thi
s
wa
s
he
r
life
.
Thi
s
wa
s
wha
t
sh
e
ha
d
become
.
She
woul
d
jus
t
hav
e
t
o
pu
t
u
p
wit
h
it
.

“Wh
o
th
e
hel
l
pu
t
tha
t
o
n
th
e
stairs?
”
Poll
y
shoute
d
later
i
n
th
e
directio
n
o
f
he
r
childre
n
bu
t
go
t
n
o
repl
y
.
Sh
e
was ou
t
o
f
he
r
mind
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
normall
y
swea
r
a
t
unde
r
-
fours
.
W
ell
,
neve
r
o
n
a
T
uesda
y
anyho
w
,
an
d
no
t
when
sh
e
ha
d
th
e
nois
e
o
f
th
e
hoove
r
t
o
compet
e
with
.
She
curse
d
he
r
ow
n
judgemen
t
ever
y
tim
e
sh
e
looke
d
a
t
the dar
k
gree
n
carpe
t
o
n
th
e
stairs
.
I
t
neede
d
mor
e
attention fro
m
th
e
hoove
r
tha
n
an
y
othe
r
par
t
o
f
th
e
house
.

Sh
e
though
t
sh
e
hear
d
th
e
repea
t
o
f
th
e
wor
d
‘hell’
fro
m
on
e
o
f
he
r
three-yea
r
-ol
d
boy
s
i
n
th
e
livin
g
roo
m
–
Max
,
sh
e
though
t –
bu
t
ignore
d
it
.
Sh
e
woul
d
bea
t
herself
u
p
fo
r
i
t
late
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
goo
d
a
t
doin
g
that
.

“Mumm
y
,
I
wan
t
mor
e
Coc
o
Pops!
”
yelle
d
Thoma
s
but
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
to
o
muc
h
agon
y
t
o
repl
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
knel
t
o
n
a
piece
o
f
Leg
o
o
n
th
e
stair
s
an
d
th
e
pai
n
wa
s
excruciating
.

I
n
th
e
almos
t
te
n
year
s
sinc
e
sh
e
ha
d
firs
t
encountered motherhood
,
standin
g
o
n
Leg
o
wa
s
righ
t
u
p
ther
e
o
n
her
‘
Thing
s
Tha
t
Ge
t
O
n
M
y
T
its
’
list
,
alon
g
wit
h
forgettin
g
to p
u
t
th
e
overflowin
g
bi
n
ou
t
fo
r
collection
,
cleanin
g
up mashed-i
n
foo
d
an
d
wors
e
fro
m
th
e
carpet
s
an
d
night- tim
e
feed
s
wit
h
new-bor
n
twins
.
Sh
e
wa
s
halfwa
y
through he
r
evenin
g
chore
s
an
d
ha
d
bee
n
gettin
g
o
n
s
o
wel
l
until
sh
e
stoo
d
o
n
th
e
offensiv
e
bi
t
o
f
plasti
c
an
d
i
t
wa
s
doing absolutel
y
nothin
g
fo
r
he
r
mood
.
I
n
th
e
mids
t
o
f
he
r
rant,
sh
e
hear
d
a
knoc
k
o
n
th
e
doo
r
,
s
o
sh
e
hobble
d
downstairs
stil
l
mutterin
g
t
o
hersel
f
i
n
expletives
.

I
t
wa
s
seve
n
thirt
y
i
n
th
e
evening
.
N
o
on
e
eve
r
calle
d
on
a
midwee
k
evenin
g
an
d
thos
e
wh
o
di
d
(lik
e
he
r
sisters)
didn
’
t
eve
r
knock
.
Fo
r a
spli
t
secon
d
sh
e
though
t
o
f
James.
Ha
d
somethin
g
happened
?
Ha
d
h
e
bee
n
i
n
a
n
accident?
He
r
stres
s
level
s
ros
e
a
s
sh
e
approache
d
th
e
doo
r
.