"Stop it," she said, not looking up.
"What?"
"Looking at me."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"All right. I am."
"Why."
"Because you just spent two hours calling me a monster and you're still sat on my sofa. I find that very encouraging."
She put the laptop down on the coffee table, calmly, the way she does when she has decided something. She lifted the wine. Long sip. Set it down on the coaster. Clink. She turned her head.
"Get off the sofa."
"What."
"Bed."
"Em."
"Daniel."
"It is half past eleven."
"I know what time it is, Daniel. I have been on this sofa with the time."
"I have got to be up early."
"You are always up early. Get off the sofa."
Brrr. Brrr. The phone.
It was on the cushion next to me. I picked it up to put it on Do Not Disturb without looking.
It was Mum.
I picked up.
"Mum."
