Ghosts in the Morning by Will Thurmann

was feeling.
    Anita had looked at me with a curious smile as we left. ‘Well well, Andy, not like you to be so feisty.’
    ‘Sorry, yes, I’m just...just tired of being treated like, oh, I don’t know, like dirt.’
    ‘Hey, Andy dear, there’s no need to be defensive, don’t try and justify yourself to me. I think it’s great. It’s a bout time too , if you ask me. Bastards like that think they can say what they like, good for you sticking up for yourself. Now, look, I’ll give you a ring in a few days, I’ll treat you to lunch next time.’ Anita had kissed me warmly on both cheeks.
    I had walked to the bus stop – I ha d left the car at home, I had guessed I would be drinking at lunchtime with Anita – and had felt a frisson of joy coursing through me, as I thought of the sheepish look on the tall rugby player’s face.
    I put my bag down in the hall and headed for the lounge. Daniel had no doubt gone out and left the television on. I sighed. He was getting lazier by the day.
    But Daniel hadn’t gone out. He was on the sofa with a young woman. Well, it seemed she was more of a girl really, but it was hard to tell. Daniel was lying on top of her, but thankfully clothed. His hand was worming around under her jumper. I thought of Uncle Peter and how he used to grip my barely budded breasts, pawing and scratching. He made one of my nipples bleed once.
    Daniel jumped up. ‘Mum, what are you doing here?’
    ‘I live here, Daniel.’ I said, coldly. I stared at the girl. She looked about fifteen. Young, innocent. She had four studs drilled into the upper edge of her right ear and another through her nose. ‘What’s your name?’
    ‘Er, I’m, er, I’m Jadie-Lee.’
    I sighed inwardly. What was it with people these days, why did they have to give their kids such stupid names? ‘How old are you, Jadie-Lee?’
    ‘I’m fif - ..I’m sixteen.’
    I turned to Daniel. ‘Daniel Halston, you are twenty years old. And this girl here, this Jadie-Lee, is fifteen. What do you think you are doing, are you some sort of paedophile?’ I wa s aware that I was shouting now, but I couldn’t help it, this wasn’t right.
    ‘But, Mum, we weren’t doing anything, we were...we were just – ’
    ‘Daniel, I am not stupid. You were not just doing nothing.’
    ‘Look, she’s nearly sixteen, she’s – ’
    I tried to force my voice down, but I was still shouting. ‘Shut up, Daniel. And go upstairs. No, Daniel, now. I need to speak to your...your friend. ’
    Daniel opened his mouth to argue but then saw the look on my face and closed it. He shuffled slowly upstairs.
    I looked at Jadie-Lee, who was tucking her blouse into her jeans. She was sniffing, maybe the stud in her nose was causing it, it couldn’t be comfortable having a thick nail through your nose. ‘ Look , Jad e...Jad ie-Lee, I am going to call for a taxi for you, and you are going to go home. And , please, I want you to think about going for boys your own age in future . You’re only fifteen, for God’s sake. Please, Jadie-Lee, you should think a lot harder before letting men grope you, you’re just a kid.’ There was a slightly desperate pleading note in my voice but I couldn’t stop it.
    ‘You’re not my Mum,’ she said, and sniffed again.
    ‘No, I’m not your Mum. But you’re not even sixteen yet, so you should listen to someone who knows that ...well, who knows that you have to be careful. You can’t trust people, you certainly can’t trust men .’
    ‘What, so you’re saying that I can’t trust Dan? He’s your son, are you saying you don’t even trust your own son ? ’ She sniffed again.
    ‘Do you want a tissue?’ I said. She shook her head, she still carried an air of defiance. ‘Yes, he’s my son, Jadie-Lee, and Daniel, yes, he’s okay, but... but , look, you just need to be careful. Men aren’t like us, they don’t think rationally, they can be...well, they’re different, you just need to be a bit careful, you have to watch