‘Did she?’
‘Oh, yes. His father was a professor,’ Yaya said as she gulped down more soup. ‘I was so cross... He was too old for her, but he did love her so.’
‘Your daughter?’
‘They were so happy.’ She nodded and ran a finger over the photo, stopping at the little gold cross round her daughter’s neck. ‘I had to sell all the gold to buy books for Galen and for him to go to summer school.’
‘I’m sure they would have approved.’
‘I could never sell this, though.’
God, just talk to her Galen!
She wanted to drag him out of his meeting with the carers and bring him to her bedside. Because these were some beautiful memories hisyayahad. Funny and kind and filled with so much love.
But, yes, it was tough at times to listen.
Galen would have loved to be dragged out of his meeting.
‘So without the blood transfusions...’ He stopped, because he knew the answer to that. ‘We can try now she’s calmer?’
‘Yes.’ The doctor nodded.
‘But she gets distressed at the needle insertion,’ Galen said. ‘Even with the numbing gel.’
‘Yes.’
It wasn’t as clear-cut as he would like it to be.
He wanted to call Roula in, but that really would be pushing the limits of friendship, or even an occasional lover, or anything really.
And until now he had always preferred making decisions alone.
Walking back into hisyaya’s room when he’d just signed off on her life was the oddest moment.
She wasn’t frail, or visibly dying. Instead she was perky and sprightly and scoffing her food!
‘You’re eating!’ Galen said as he came in. ‘That’s good.’
‘Galen!’ She beamed. ‘Roula came to see me.’
‘She ate it all.’ Roula smiled and stood, then addressed Yaya. ‘There’s more in the fridge for you. I’ll say goodnight, Kupia...’
‘Kyrios?’ Yaya suddenly said.
‘Yes.’ Roula nodded.
‘Nemo...’ she sneered.
‘Yaya...’ Galen tried quickly to intervene. ‘Do you want some more soup?’
‘Brute,’ Yaya said, and then she turned her little currant eyes to Roula, as if seeing her for the first time. ‘Roula Drakos?’ she checked, and Galen saw, almost before it manifested itself, the flash of contempt in Yaya’s eyes.‘Bástardos!’Yaya shouted. ‘That Dimitrios.’
Yikes, Galen thought.Not so coherent after all. Or just very accurate...
‘Roula.’ He tried to pull her away. ‘She says stuff.’
‘Pig!’ Yaya shouted.