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He was a broad-shouldered man, and people moved naturally aside to let hi As he got to the bar Anna said, ain now you know, for the parks; it'll probably only be until the end of the su at least David nodded

That's good, he said That's so

She looked at Chris, as laughing briefly at so It's not as bad as it was, she told hih for us both really David watched hi back across the room towards them, the three drinks held aardly out in front of hi the back of her thu it clean, the sahts earlier when she'd told hih, she'd said, tutting and sighing fondly, seems hard to believe sometimes, and he hadn't knohether she meant hard to believe how quickly the tiot married at all

Where's your lasses knocking against each other and slopping beer out on to the table

She's staying in, David said She's, I mean, she's a bit under the weather at the moment

Really? said Chris Nothing serious is it?

Well, said David, no Nothing serious He noticed Anna looking at hie of worry in her eyes

She not made it to the exhibition yet then? Chris asked, and David shook his head no Pity, Chris said, it's a good bit of work Hein towards her It's a smart idea she had there, I reckon, he said, and David nodded in agree her husband on the cheek

David sat back a little, not wanting to intrude, a fa over in his stomach He wanted to be able to sit in the pub with Eleanor beside hi about the ss He wanted not to have to explain her absence every time, and almost always to have to lie about it He wanted at least to kno long this was going to go on for, or to know that there was soether to be the way they'd told each other it would be when they first gothis life had become He wanted - and he felt a rush of shame as he realised this - he wanted her to et better He couldn't be expected to wait for ever, he thought, trying to silence the words even as they forlass aith half the pint still undrunk

I'

Anna and Chris looked round

Say hello to her for us, won't you? Anna said, reaching her hand out across the table Give her our best wishes and everything, she said Christhe sa back at Anna, looking at the tilt of her head, the reach of her ar at her bottoht by the concerned bite of her teeth

I'll do that, he said I'll say hello for you

37 Fralass), David and Eleanor, c1975

It was the birdsong he reh up in the branches so, a bird had started singing, the notes tu down into the yard The air et, and clean, and still The brick walls were streaked with rainwater, the stone paving slabs by the back door glea fat beads of rain to the ground, nodding gently as each drop swelled and broke free Everything felt as though it had been sainst the hard surfaces like scattering pieces of polished glass It was a slow, languid sound, barely even a song at all, more of a hesitant trickle down the notes of the scale, but there was so and insistent Soh the wet air Soh the open kitchenand raising tiny braille bumps on their skin, so that they could only stand and listen, and not dare to move, and not dare to breathe Their bodies touched and pressed against each other He could feel her warainst her skin The brittle words and staotten She closed her eyes, and the corners of herstopped There was silence for aon to the stone, and just as they were about to , the song began again