Chapter 23
Hana woke, hearing the bell for the first lesson ringing in the distance. The house sounded silent apart from Phoenix, who lay on her back in the double bed and struggled to pull the sleep suit over her feet. She had lost one leg already and the empty material hung sideways. As Hana rubbed the sleep from her eyes, Phoenix turned towards her and made delicate ‘pah, pah’ noises before opening her mouth in a happy grin. Hana laughed, her eyes crinkling with love.
“For such a little person, that is a very big smell!” she exclaimed after changing her daughter’s nappy. She pushed the window open on its security latch and waved fresh air into the room. “Pooh, stinky! You’re Mrs Bugle-bum for sure.”
Contentment shrouded her and Hana felt reluctant to let it dissipate so soon. She sat
