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She wasn’t sure what else to say. Last time she’d spoken to her mother, she’d been so annoyed she’d thrown her phone in the brook and they’d not spoken since. Was her mother really that oblivious to how Sophie felt after their last conversation? She shifted the hamper, which was getting heavier the longer she stood there holding it.
‘No wonder you teachers get a bad rap, using your training days to go shopping,’ June said, tutting. She put her basket down on the floor.
Sophie sighed. So they were going to have a proper conversation.
‘Well, actually, Mum, I’ve already completed all the work we were asked to do today, so I thought I’d use the opportunity to get a bit of Christmas shopping done while it was quiet. It seems like everyone else had the same idea, though.’ She looked around at the chaotic scene. The place was full of shoppers and the claustrophobia was making Sophie overheat. She tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand, half holding and half hiding the hamper she’d picked up as her mother’s Christmas present.
‘What have you done to your face?’ June asked, noticing Sophie’s partially healed cheek.
‘Oh, nothing,’ Sophie said, blushing.
‘Sophie, it looks really sore. What happened?’ her mother persisted.
‘I’m fine. I just took a fall,’ she said. ‘Into a brook.’ It didn’t sound so funny this time.
Her mother pressed her lips together, and she could see she was being judged.
‘Goodness,’ said June, putting her hand to her mouth as though she was in a silent movie. ‘Whatever did you do that for?’
‘I didn’t plan for it to happen.’ Sophie couldn’t believe she was having to explain this.
‘Gosh. Well, I don’t suppose anything like that would have happened had you stayed in London. So much for moving away, eh?’ She smiled as if she’d made a joke.
Sophie pressed her lips together. She just couldn’t help herself, could she?
‘I’m fine anyway,’ Sophie said in an attempt to move on from that particular topic.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said June. ‘Any luck with getting those flyers sorted?’
‘We’re getting there,’ Sophie said, shifting her weight to try and accommodate the awkwardly shaped hamper that seemed to be growing heavier still. She didn’t want to shatter Liam’s bauble either.
‘The concert’s getting close, though, isn’t it?’ A look of genuine concern drifted across June’s face. Didn’t she know the date of the concert by now? That was surely a clear sign she had no intention of attending.
‘It’s Christmas Eve, so I’ve got a bit of time to play with,’ Sophie said.
‘Fingers crossed you get them printed properly, then.’
‘I will,’ Sophie said. She was getting to the point where she wanted the conversation to be over so that she could go and find somewhere she could get a drink – preferably alcoholic. It was all right to drink on a school day if you weren’t technically at school, right?
‘Anyway, I must dash. Your father’s in here somewhere buying pants and I’ll need to make sure he’s got the right ones before he takes them to the tills.’
‘Bye, Mum,’ Sophie said as her mother lurched forward for a couple of air kisses.
‘Bye, Sophie love,’ June said. She turned and made her way through the crowd, disappearing into the throng.
As always, Sophie was left feeling like she’d been hit in the face with a shovel. She took a deep breath, suddenly far too hot, and finally made it over to the tills to pay. By the time she got to the agreed meeting place, Kate had texted her to say she’d gone to the coffee shop next door.
‘Sorry,’ Sophie said, rushing through the door and flopping down onto a sofa opposite Kate.
‘Where did you get to?’ Kate asked, sipping her already half-drunk tea. Sophie didn’t realise she’d been so long.
‘Sorry,’ she said again, redoing her ponytail and peeling off as many layers as she could to try and cool down. ‘I bumped into Mum.’ Her eyes flicked to the ceiling.
Kate smiled knowingly. ‘And how is the lovely June?’
‘As encouraging as always.’
Kate slid a cup over to Sophie. ‘Help yourself.’
