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Clare telephoned lad of the interruption I had been dragging hts when the call had co Siobhan Clare provided me with the perfect excuse not to

&039;You okay?&039; I asked

&039;I&039;ood, but at least she, unlike just about everyone else I kneasn&039;t yelling groundless accusations at er yesterday?&039;

&039;Yes,&039; she said quickly &039;Yes, she really did Didn&039;t stop talking about it all night&039;

&039;But?&039; I pushed, sensing that there wasme

&039;But what?&039;

&039;I don&039;t know, you tell ht? Has Penny&039;s dad done so else that&039;s&039; &039;No, I haven&039;t heard from him&039;

&039;Then what is it?&039;

Clare was silent The longer the silence lasted, the an to feel

&039;Are you still there?&039; I asked cautiously

&039;I&039; I&039;ve done?&039; I asked anxiously It was beginning to feel like I was gradually turning everyone else against ht also have turned too

&039;Christ, no,&039; she replied, her voice suddenly a little louder and &039;

&039;What is it then?&039;

I hated playing ga messed around Inher asto think I&039;m off my head,&039; she eventually said

&039;Try me&039;

I heard her take a deep breath

&039;It&039;s Penny,&039; she quietly ad hates me&039;

&039;What?&039;

Another aard silence

&039;I don&039;t kno else to put it, Tom She hate&039;s me She&039;s&039;

&039;She&039;s what?&039;

&039;Oh, Jesus, I don&039;t knohat&039;s going on anyot ho when I took her to nursery It&039;s only since I picked her up that I&039;ve noticed it&039;

&039;Noticed what?&039; I asked, concerned &039;What&039;s the matter with her?&039;

&039;I can&039;t explain,&039; she sighed, her voice rapidly filling with e paranoid but I&039;m really worried I&039;ve never seen her like this before It&039;s like I&039;ve bought someone else&039;s child ho?&039;

Yet another pause &039;It ed Ibecause it&039;s almost as if she can&039;t stand to be in the same room as me anymore She came downstairs for a fewword She&039;s been up in her bedroo to do with her dad? Do you think he saw her at nursery today?&039;

&039;I don&039;t know I think he&039;s working away&039;

&039;Do you think she could be reacting because she didn&039;t see hi but kids do pick up on things&039;

&039;I don&039;t know,&039; she snapped again

&039;It&039;s got to be that, or so else that happened at nursery perhaps? Maybe another one of the other children said so to her and&039;

&039;So why doesn&039;t she tellit out on me like this?&039;

&039;Because you&039;re her mum? Because you&039;re the only one there Because you&039;re the one she sees the ot to bla so blunt with Clare, but she needed to be told I didn&039;t think for a second that Penny really did hate her Yesterday the two of theirl was suffering greatly as a result of the break-up of her parent&039;sand innocent to be able to put her feelings and concerns into words Maybe this was her way of dealing hat had happened?

&039;I&039;htened,&039; Clare said, her voice little ile whisper

&039;Why? What is there to be frightened of? This is just a phase she&039;s going through&039;

&039;I&039;m not sure&039;

&039;Look, she&039;ll snap out of this as quickly as she ed to snap into it,&039; I interrupted &039;I&039;m sure she will&039;

I didn&039;t have ht it hat Clare needed to hear

&039;I don&039;t know,&039; she an to sense that there really could be soirl - her&039;I&039;ve seen her have badlike this She&039;s never been like this before&039;

&039;Why do you say that? What&039;s different about today?&039;

&039;I&039;ve heard her throwing things around her rooo up and see her she slaainst it so I can&039;t get in She tried to shove her bed across to block it but it was too heavy for her&039;

&039;What?&039; I said, trying totold