Losing It by Lesley Glaister Page B

shoulders. ‘OK,’ he says, ‘if that’s what you want.’
    Jo comes round with Luke at 7 o’clock. She’s wearing a silky black dress with a low neckline. Her hair is spiky and her lips are shiny red.
    ‘You look lovely,’ Marion says, looking down at her own brown cardigan and furry slippers. I must go on a diet, she thinks.
    ‘Don’t know what time I’ll be back,’ Jo says.
    ‘It doesn’t matter. Luke can sleep here,’ Marion says. He snuggles under her arm.
    ‘Are you sure? Brilliant!’ Jo kisses Luke and leaves a red smudge on his cheek. ‘See you tomorrow then,’ she says and wobbles off in her high heels.
     

CHAPTER THREE
    Jo does not come back to pick Luke up till Sunday afternoon. It’s a sunny spring day, and Marion, David and Luke are out in the garden. David reads the paper while Luke helps Marion put in some pansies.
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ Jo says. ‘I got in late and then I overslept.’
    ‘It’s fine,’ Marion says. ‘We had fun.’
    ‘We watched a film and made popcorn!’ Luke says. ‘And Tigger slept on my bed with me.’
    ‘Nice to have a child in the house,’ Marion says. ‘We’ll babysit anytime. Won’t we David?’
    David looks up from his paper. ‘A bit of notice, would be nice,’ he says.
    ‘David!’ says Marion.
    ‘No it’s OK,’ Jo says, but her voice is a little stiff. ‘Come on Luke.’ And she goes home.
    ‘You could have been more friendly,’ Marion says.
    He raises his eyebrows at her.
    ‘Alone at last,’ he says.
     
    The next night Jo comes round just as Marion and David are about to go to bed.
    ‘Can you help me?’ she says.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ Marion asks.
    ‘Can’t it wait?’ David says, looking at his watch. ‘It’s late.’
    ‘No, it’s OK,’ Marion says. ‘What is it?’
    ‘There’s a great big spider in my bath,’ she says, ‘and I’m petrified of spiders.’
    ‘Me too,’ says Marion. ‘David?’
    David sighs. ‘Women!’ he says. ‘Come on then.’ And he goes next door with Jo.
    Marion puts on her nightie and gets into bed, waiting for David to come back. He’s a long time, much longer than it would take to remove a spider from a bath.
    When he does come back she says, ‘Why were you so long?’
    ‘No sign of the spider,’ he says, ‘so I had to look for it.’
    ‘Did you find it?’
    He shakes his head and takes off his shirt. ‘She’s going to decorate the whole house,’ he says.
    ‘That’s a shame,’ Marion says. ‘Pat only did it all before she left.’
    ‘She thinks it’s too old fashioned.’
    He gets into bed and thumps his pillow into shape.
    ‘She got me to look at some paint charts,’ he says. ‘Sorry it took so long.’
     
    On Saturday morning Luke rings the doorbell again while Marion and David are still in bed. ‘Bloody pest!’ David grumbles as Marion gets up. ‘Bring me a cuppa will you?’
    ‘Good morning Luke.’ Marion opens the door. He’s in his pyjamas again and his feet are bare. ‘You should put your slippers on,’ she says.
    ‘I don’t have slippers,’ he says.
    Marion finds him a big pair of socks to warm his feet up. ‘Now, shall we make some pancakes?’ she says.
    ‘Yay!’ he says. ‘Yum yum!’
    Marion shows him how to beat the eggs into the flour and milk. They eat the pancakes with lemon and sugar.
    Luke licks the sugar off his fingers. ‘That was cool,’ he says. ‘Mum never makes pancakes.’
    Later Jo comes round. Her make up is smudged all round her eyes. ‘Late night,’ she says and yawns.
    ‘Coffee?’ Marion says.
    ‘Mum, we made pancakes,’ Luke says.
    ‘Ta.’ Jo smiles at Marion. ‘You’re a star. Can you have Luke again tonight?’
    ‘I can’t,’ Marion says. ‘Sorry. David and I are going to a party.’
    ‘Oh.’ Jo chews her fingernail and frowns. ‘No problem,’ she says. ‘I’ll just have to stay in then.’
    ‘Can’t you ask someone else?’
    Jo shakes her head. ‘Everyone goes out on Saturdays,’ she