Love and light,
Mum xxx
SILENT-ISH NIGHT
I get back from the Foof Christmas party to find Kelly lying on the sofa, wearing a Santa hat. She’s halfway down a bottle of port.
‘You are scrumptious.’
‘This is as far as I go.’
I sit down and help myself to a small glass of port. She shuffles around, making room for me, and puts her legs either side of me. There is one of those loathsome nostalgia programmes on TV. Weren’t the 90s Great? No, I think. Let the nineties die with dignity.
She grunts and shifts on the sofa, pulls my phone out from underneath her and hands it to me. ‘There you go. Half an hour.’
‘You’re a cruel mistress.’
‘You know it.’
I take my phone and turn it on.
‘I feel really sorted, you know,’ I say. The phone starts to come alive.
‘Did you have any tea?’
‘A few festive snacks,’ I say, mindlessly going through my apps.
‘Hmph.’
‘Yeah,’ I say. My phone awakens with alerts and new messages.
‘Jenny?’
‘…’
‘You’re getting that glazed look. I think you’d better give that back.’
But I can’t.
‘JENNY.’
Kelly puts her port glass down and starts getting up. I run into the kitchen with my phone.
‘Jenny!’
She is chasing me. I will wrestle her if I have to. Hahahahaharrgggggggggggh.
She loves me.
INBOX
Suzy Brambles started following you on Instagram.
FIN
?
THANKS
To my friends, for loving me and letting me steal their gold, particularly: Sally Cook, Katie Popperwell, Natalie O’Hara, Nicola Mostyn, Maria Roberts, Sarah Tierney, Alison Taylor, Emily Morris, Jesca Hoop, Holly Smale, Alex and Simon Glew, Eden Keane and Romana Majid.
To my agent and friend Clare Conville, who always steers me to shore and has picked me up off too many decks to mention. To all at Conville & Walsh. To Camilla Young and all at Curtis Brown.
To Sophie Wilson, for terrific and much-needed early guidance.
To my editor Charlotte Cray for faith, kinship, and pushing this book to be the boldest thing it could be. To Ore, Suzie, Ann and everyone at The Borough Press.
To Anna Burtt for being a solid cheerleader and the best Suzy Brambles.
To Sarah Brocklehurst, dear friend and workwife.
To Jenn Ashworth, for the gimp whippings and naked photos.
To the Society of Authors for the grant when I was trying to combine new motherhood and writing. Do apply if you’re a skint author.
To my family: Mum, Dad, Grandma, Lucie, Dave, Charlie and Matilda. And to Ian and LF, for sharing me so graciously with my work.
Finally, to every reader who got in touch in the abyss between Animals and this. Thank you. You kept me going. X
About the Author
Emma Jane Unsworth is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her novel, Animals, has been adapted into a film, for which Unsworth wrote the screenplay. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2019. She also writes for television and various magazines.
www.emmajaneunsworth.com
/emjaneunsworth
ALSO BY EMMA JANE UNSWORTH
Hungry, the Stars and Everything
Animals
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