James
Shit!
Her head hangs…
Jade…
As one, Michael and I stride across. Arms outstretched, Michael is speaking before we reach her… “Charlotte…”
… when a voice interrupts. “Shelley? Long time. No see. How lovely to run into you.”
Charlotte whirls so fast her hair swings around her, settling in a cloud over her shoulders. “Shelley?”
The speaker is an old woman, stooped at the shoulders, dressed in purple that doesn’t suit her, pottering along towards us with an ancient shopping trolley. The bag is saggy, and one wheel is uneven, so it rises and falls as she pushes. Nonetheless, it looks to be keeping her standing. “Shelley…Oh, you do look well. Have you been on holiday?”
Then as she gets closer, she peers up into Charlotte’s face. “Oh, I am sorry, sweetheart. I thought you were someo
