23
Another Tuesday evening. Another meal with Mum. Another meal when Esther must not mention Rachel. How long could this go on?
The waiter brought their orders and set them on the table. When Rachel first turned up, Esther had been terrified to even meet Mum in case she said something she shouldn’t. She’d said as little as possible about anything. It wasn’t a success. Mum had wanted to know if anything was wrong.
Then she’d overcompensated by being too chatty. That had led to more awkward ‘what’s wrong’ questions. Could she finally reach the perfect balance? What if she asked questions that ensured her mum did most of the talking?
“Tell me what Dad’s been preaching on lately,” Esther said.
Blanche raised her eyebrows.
Great. Wrong approach again. Mum knew she struggled with her fathe
