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Can I look? he asked again She waved her hand towards theuest if she hadn't also turned her face away and lifted her cup of tea unsteadily to her lips

The albums were still packed where she'd put theed in betwe

en recipe books and old gardening h the the them to one side on the worktop; his and Susan's first days at school, Albert and Dorothy randparents, ses and faded colours Hiswith the sleeves of her cardigan, rolling the cuffs back and straightening theain Each tie it lanced at him anxiously

You will be careful with those, won't you? she said He nodded, still flicking quickly through the heavy pages, squeezing each album back into the box when he was done

Look, Mum, he said when he'd slipped the chosen pictures into a clear plastic binder, are you sure you don't mind?

When they'd had dinner together that evening, the night before Dorothy had s had been said She'd drunk toospill out, saying I' to stand in your way but you shouldn't think I' isn't it a bit late now, really? Saying oh this is all Julia's fault But noith only a cup of tea passing her lips, and with the sharp su left to say

Really, I don't et on with it She stood up suddenly, looking around the roo, as if she wasn't sure what it was she was looking for, and sat down again Say hello to Eleanor fortired and faint Tell her I said to look out for you

He said that he would, and he carried the cups and saucers across to the sink, rinsing thelancing up at the clock

41 Cut fragical thread, in small transparent case, dated July 1983

It wasn't until he'd been out of hospital for three or four months that Kate saw his scar for the first time She was fascinated She knelt beside him and peered down at it, at the two faint dotted lines either side of the ridged pinch of flesh, the scarred surface puckering away into healthy skin He propped hi her face, the concentration in her eyes, the pursed lips and lowered eyebrohichhead to process this new inforht her hand with a sharp uh-uh and a shake of the head Wash your hands first, she said, still holding on to Kate's wrist Kate looked at her hands They were covered in soil and grass froarden with the bucket and spade Dorothy had given her; looking for s she'd said She stood up and went into the house, looking worriedly at David as she went

Eleanor sround to kiss his neck and his ear He broke off a handful of grass and threw it at her as she turned away She broke off a handful herself, and was just about to throw it back at hile and splash of water down the outside drain and saw Kate reappear at the back door, holding up her wet hands

Good girl, Eleanor said, and Kate hurried over to kneel beside David's stoain She looked at the scar, and up at hi for his per round to sit beside her He felt like a patient again, lying in bed watching doctors and studentsit in turns to pinch and prod at his flesh

Kate's s away suddenly, reaching back She traced the line of the scar, and the two dotted lines where the stitches had been, and the pinched line of the scar again She looked round at Eleanor

It's like onsurprised

Well, said Eleanor, it's si the faded scar she'd got frolass in the street a year before She ran her finger along his scar again, and along hers, and sone from her face