You’re just a meddlesome parasite who loves sticking her nose into other peoples families! Claire spat, her voice sharp as a knife.
Rita burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the cars interior.
Youve got to be kidding, she said, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. Is that the best accusation you could muster? When I met Ethan, you and he had already been divorced for three years. And if I recall correctly, you were the one who walked out on Ethan for another man. What family am I meddling in?
***
Rita had always found comfort in numbers. Equations were simpler than emotions, especially when the people around her refused to make sense. She excelled at the hard sciences, and her career reflected that. So when Ethan drifted back into her life, bringing his tenyearold daughter Milly along, Rita didnt hesitate to become the girls tutor.
Why are these numbers being cancelled out? Milly asked, flipping a page of her maths workbook, hoping the lessons from the weekend hadnt slipped her mind.
Because theyre the same, Rita replied.
Not the worst answer. Good job, she praised, tracing a line across the page. Look again, Milly. If you multiply this part by that one, you get Hold on Ah, thats right. She paused, searching for a simple comparison. Think of it like regular multiplication, only you have to pull it out from under the square root. Its no harder than counting sweets in Year3.
Milly, slouched at the kitchen table, twirled her pencil between her fingers. Rita always insisted on a quick review before school; Milly fought for a few extra minutes of sleep. Rita always won.
This isnt sweets, Rita, Milly sighed. These are problems. Hard ones.
Theres nothing hard if you approach it the right way, Rita smiled, the maternal instinct shed kept buried rising to the surface. Lets try this one Oh, were running out of time.
The morning routine went on repeat.
Ethan, smoothing Millys unruly bangs, asked, Rita, could you drop Milly at school today? Im in a real hurry.
No problem, Rita said, pulling on her coat. Dont worry, Ill get her there in perfect shape.
Thanks, Rita.
Its nothing.
She helped Milly pack her books into the backpack. She loved Ethan, and she loved Milly. Their family was an odd little patchwork, but it was enough for Rita.
At the school gate, Claire appeared, Ethans exwife, wrapped in a thin trench coat that fluttered in the lateautumn wind. She looked angry, halfwild, as if shed stepped straight out of a storm.
Milly! You didnt bring your spare shoes from home and you have PE today! Here, Ive brought a pair. Say thank you to whoever cared enough to think of you, Claire shouted, thrusting a bag of trainers into Millys hands.
Milly, spotting her mother, said a quick goodbye to Rita, snatched the shoes, and vanished into the school building without a word.
Rita was about to climb back into her car when Claire turned, eyes flashing.
Dont you dare get in my daughters way.
Ritas brow furrowed. Excuse me?
Im the one who teaches her, drives her. Do you think youre her second mother now? Claires voice crackled with raw hatred.
The outburst surprised everyone. Claire rarely spoke so openly; her presence alone irritated Rita.
Im not trying to replace anyone, Rita said calmly, refusing to rise to the bait. She spends a lot of time with us. I help her with maths. She comes to the shop with us. Im not pretending she doesnt exist on the weekends.
Youre just a meddlesome parasite who loves sticking her nose into other peoples families! Claire retorted, sputtering.
Rita laughed, a short, sharp sound. You could have come up with a more ridiculous accusation? When I met Ethan, you and he had already been split for three years. And if Im right, you left Ethan for another man. What family am I meddling in?
Claire was momentarily speechless, unable to find a comeback. Rita nudged her gently away from the car, slipped into the drivers seat, and drove off to work. The argument replaced her morning coffee.
Wheres all this aggression coming from? Rita wondered, glancing in the rearview mirror. Hes not living with her any more. And Claire has never spoken to me like that before.
Later that evening, as Rita polished her boots, Ethan leaned against the doorway.
Rita, I need to talk. Its not pleasant but would you mind if Milly stays with us for a while?
Rita raised an eyebrow. Stay? Shes already here all the time.
No, I mean permanently. Or at least for a long stretch.
I dont see any problem, she said. If it helps Milly. But why? How does Claire feel about this? she asked, her tone edged with sarcasm.
Ethan hesitated. Theres a catch Milly will move in, and Claire will move in too.
Ritas boot clanged against the floor. Whats your ex doing here? Are you telling me were done and you want to live with her again?
He fumbled. No! Of course not! I cant stand her! I love you! Ethan lifted his boot, grabbed a brush and began scrubbing it so hard the bristles threatened to snap. The man she ran off with dumped her. He gave her a week to leave, and you know how costly a flat is in London.
Then let her go back to her parents! Rita snapped.
Her parents live far away. If she leaves, Milly would have to change schools, move cities, lose friends Claire wont go anywhere without Milly. Our flat has three bedrooms. We can all live together.
We all? In one flat with Claire? Rita repeated, stunned.
Sounds crazy, but I see no other way. Renting a place for her is absurdly expensive. If she goes back home, Id only see Milly twice a year, and she doesnt want that.
Ritas mind repeated the word together as she brushed the boot clean. And together they were.
The cost was high. When Claire moved in, she acted like shed seized the apartment in a siege. Her belongings spread across every surface.
Rita, Claire said from the living room, where she now slept, could you move that vase? It blocks my view of the telly.
The vase perched on the coffee table, hardly an obstruction.
Claire, it
Just move it. I want to watch the news.
And I cant? Rita asked, trying to stay calm.
Your vase, Claire snapped. Its yours, I cant touch it without asking.
Rita gently shifted the porcelain.
Thanks.
Next came the curtains, piled in a basket while Rita ran errands.
Why do the curtains matter to you? Rita asked.
They were bright, lightcoloured. I want them back, Claire replied. And now youre touching my things?
Theyre mine too, Rita said. Ethan and I chose them together.
So I dont like them, Claire snapped. Ill ask Ethan to replace them tomorrow. Well get new ones.
The flat turned into a domestic battlefield.
Claire began restoring the apartment to how it looked when she and Ethan lived together. Pans were shuffled into the oven, spices stacked on the top shelf because she rarely used them. Laundry, once done every two days, now ran once a week to save water. Rita never understood the savings, especially when the washing machine churned five or six times a day.
Rita, Claire would appear out of nowhere, could you take your perfume off the hallway table? I need space for my cosmetics.
It doesnt bother me, Rita replied.
It does, Claire insisted. I live here. I need to be comfortable.
This is my home too, Rita said, but Claire seemed deaf.
Youre nobody here, Claire snapped. This is my house, my man, my family. Youre just a side effect.
Rita relayed the words to Ethan later.
Ethan, when are you going to sort out housing for Claire and Milly? I love Milly, but Claire told me Im nothing. This is her house, her man, her family. Is that normal? Are you just going to pretend you didnt hear?
Ethan tried to explain. Rita, youve got it wrong. Claires going through a rough patch. She didnt mean to say those things. Shes just on edge.
On edge? She said it straight to my face!
What am I supposed to do? Throw her out?
Ethan sided with his ex.
Day by day, Ethan spent more time with Milly and Claire. They walked together, cracked jokes that went over Ritas head. Rita felt increasingly like an intruder.
The idyll between Ethan and Claire, if you could call it that, didnt last long. A petty argument erupted over a misplaced teacup.
You know I hate it when you set things that way! Claire shouted, her voice shaking.
What did I do? Ethan paled. I was just drinking tea!
Look at the ring around the cup, the stain on the tablecloth! Dont slam the table when you put something down! My nerves arent made of steel!
Your nerves, old lady! Ethan snapped. Youre just a grouchy old thing.
And youre a careless fool who cant remember the simplest things!
Rita listened from the hallway, feeling like a spectator to a decadeslong marital brawl. She wondered where she fit in.
Everythings starting over again, Milly said, her eyes wide. Dad and Mum are back together and fighting again. It was better when they split
In that moment, Rita realized she wasnt part of a family at all. She was a temporary guest who didnt belong in this reknit, tangled household.
Ethan finally faced the fact that the marriage was over. He didnt know how to untangle the mess, begged Rita to stay, but she saw no happy ending in it.
The day Rita packed her things, a small incident occurred that might have seemed trivial if not for the whole situation. While she was loading boxes, Claire decided to perform a deep clean, rearranging the books on the livingroom shelf. Rita, a stickler for order, had her books alphabetised by genre. Claire, driven by aesthetics, moved them based on colour of the spines.
Rita opened her mouth to protest, then laughed. Decided to banish my spirit with a spring clean?
Just love a tidy house, Claire said, polishing a volume. Your bookshelf looked like a dump.
Its for convenience, Rita replied. So I can find the right book fast.
I look at covers, Claire countered. It looks nicer that way.
They could never coexist.
When Rita finally left, she saw Milly at the kitchen window, waving goodbye. For a heartbeat it felt as if the girl might run after her caught between two worlds.
Ready to go? asked Ethans brother, who had come to help with the move.
Yes, Rita said, stepping into the car. Lets get out of here, faster.
