No Kiss Goodbye Read Free Page A

together.
    Ava never seems to grow tired of defending Adam. She loves to tell people they are just like the original Adam and Ava. We all know she means Eve, but no one has ever taken it upon themselves to correct her. We all like our heads attached to our bodies too much. Just as the biblical couple fell in love in the Garden of Eden and had all that trouble with the apple of temptation, Ava and Adam met in Molly Keogh’s back garden at the neighbourhood summer barbecue. When the sleeve of Ava’s cardigan caught fire, Adam had thrown his pint of cider over Ava without haste or sober judgment in an attempt to quench the blaze. Now maybe Adam never knew, or just momentarily in a fit of blind panic forgot, that alcohol tends to have the opposite of the desired effect when trying to put out a blaze. And so began a not so beautiful relationship. Ava insists that fate brought them together. The rest of us put it down to barbeque lighter fluid and a little stupidity. But one thing is certain, Ava Cassidy and Adam O’Rourke will always be remembered for their trouble in the garden with apples.
    Mark’s arrival interrupts my trip down memory lane. I’m concentrating hard on trying to smile. I can feel twitches somewhere near my ears, and I’m almost sure they’re the same muscles that make my mouth move. I’m determined today will be the day I let him know I can hear him, but I’m distracted by a female voice entering my room.
    After a few moments of everyone chatting among themselves, and me becoming incredibly frustrated, Mark finally gets around to an introduction.
    ‘Laura, honey, I told you I had a surprise.’
    My heart is racing… the kids, he’s brought the kids.
    ‘Well…here she is,’ Mark announces, maybe pointing at something, I can’t tell.
    I hold my breath and wait to hear Katie coo.
    ‘Hello, Laura,’ the woman’s voice chirps.
    ‘Nicole wanted to come see you. Isn’t that a nice surprise?’ Mark says.
    My heart sinks into my ankles. It feels like an eternity since I’ve seen the kids. They are the only surprise I want. Not Nicole. Not this bitch. How could Mark bring her here? He knows how much I hate her. I’ve spent half my life bitching about her. What the fuck was he thinking? God, I just want to cry. Everyone is silent for a moment, but there is an excited buzz in the room. I just know Mark is smiling. It makes me even angrier.
    ‘Nicky has been amazing helping out all week. I don’t know what I’d have done without her. She’s been so worried about you.’
    ‘We’ve all been worried, Mark,’ Ava adds dryly.
    Ava has my back, just like always. I think I smile, but everyone is too preoccupied to notice.
    Mark ignores the remark. ‘I suggested Nicky come and see your progress for herself.’
    Progress! What progress? I’m only half-alive. And it’s Nicky now, is it? When did they progress to nicknames? My head hurts.
    I’ve never trusted Nicole. I don’t believe her intentions are anything less than selfish. I’m certain she’s less about helping out and more about edging in on my family as soon I’m out of the picture. She’s the same age as me, give or take a few months. She is also slim and glamorous…and conscious. I’m none of the three.
    I also can’t believe Mark would leave me alone with that woman. Where has he gone now? Houdini has nothing on that man lately.
    For about forty minutes or so, I tolerate Nicole’s ramblings about how she’s cleaned the house so it will be nice and tidy when I get home. Did it ever dawn on her that maybe it was messy for a reason? Maybe I like messy. I ignore her speech about getting fifty euros off because she batted her eyelashes at the mechanic when she took the car for a service. I even cope when she praises herself for having my in-laws over for a healthy family meal. If she’s trying to hit me when I’m down, then she’s doing an excellent job. I got it. By all accounts, she’s much better at being me than me .
    I