Nab’s Reviews > Soldier Sailor > Status Update

Maybe they can go to the hotel tomorrow instead? Then house is in darkness. The car is missing. Other stuff too if he cared to look. He turns on the hall light, walks down the corridor. The bouncer chair is mangled. Looks like someone jumped on it. He pushes open the living room door, dread rising. She is sitting on the floor in front of the fire with their baby. Relief but also alarm. Why is she huddled in the dark? He turns on the light and she winces at the brightness so he switches it back off but he has seen it, her face. Her eyeliner, her mascara or whatever it’s called, streaks her cheeks black. Like Joker in Batman, he thinks, but manages not to say this out loud. He approaches and peers at her in the firelight. Is that blood? My God, what happened to your face? A crown of thorns for the day that’s in it. Their child is not scratched. Look at him, oh my God, perfect. Mother and baby did not follow the same trajectory that day. He asks her if she’s okay. She says she’s fine. She says everything is fine, her code red word. And he goes, Ah great, that’s grand, your cardigan’s on inside out, silly thing, what’s for dinner? Like: come on, you know? Come on.”