Necessary as Blood

about the wedding.‘ Cyn‘s indignation had come back in full force. ‘What am I supposed to tell her? Have you done anything at all about making the arrangements? 1
    ‘I — I just haven‘t had a chance. I‘ve been busy at work, and—‘
    ‘Right. There‘s always something, Gemma.‘ Cynthia‘s voice had gone cold. ‘You don‘t care who you disappoint. I‘m surprised Duncan puts up with you. And you know how much Mum is counting on this. You‘ll be the death of her if you keep on like this, you mark my words.‘ The connection went dead in Gemma‘s ear.
    ‘Cyn?‘ Gemma said. ‘Cyn?‘ Then, when it sank in that her sister had really hung up on her, she shouted, ‘Harpy!‘ at the hapless mobile and threw it onto the passenger seat. It didn‘t make her feel any better.
    With all the things that had happened in the last few days, she had managed to put the wedding completely out of her mind. Now, the weight of obligation came rushing back, and with it the nausea that had been nagging her since Sandra‘s brothers had cracked her head against the Escort‘s door. The interior of the car suddenly seemed unbearably hot and confining.
    She got out carefully, fighting a wave of dizziness, and collected the holdall with Charlotte‘s things from the back seat. This time she looked round before she leaned into the car, but that made her dizzier.
    Then, feeling oddly disconnected from her feet, she walked the few yards to Betty‘s building. As she went in and glanced up the stairwell, the climb seemed as daunting as Mount Everest. Slowly, gingerly, she made the ascent, stopping on each landing to ease the thumping in her head.
    By the time she reached Betty‘s flat, and Charlotte ran into her arms for a hug, she felt she was the one most in need of comfort.

    Charlotte had finally been persuaded to let go of Gemma and settle down with her pencils at the small table in Betty‘s kitchen. She drew with grave concentration, while in the sitting room Betty exclaimed over the clothes Gemma had brought.
    ‘Her mama was that good to her,‘ Betty said softly as she refolded a little pink skirt. ‘Oh, I don‘t just mean the clothes,‘ she added. ‘But you can tell, with the little ones, when they‘ve been loved. And I don‘t believe for a minute that this one‘s mama left her of her own accord.‘ She added a neatly folded T-shirt to the skirt. ‘Not unless there was drink or drugs involved.‘
    ‘Not on her mum‘s part, anyway,‘ Gemma agreed, but when Betty gave her a questioning look, she merely added, ‘I‘d have heard something by now, I think, if there was anything like that.‘
    ‘Will she be all right if she goes to her granny?‘ Betty asked. ‘I do worry, and I haven‘t heard a thing more from the social worker.‘
    ‘I know,‘ said Gemma. ‘I‘m worried, too.‘
    The admission brought back her sister‘s hateful words in full force. Was she as selfish as Cyn had said? Should she be doing more for her mother, and less for Charlotte? But how could she not do everything in her power for this child, who had no one else to protect her? And if Cyn was right, was she letting Duncan down as well? Was he losing patience with her?
    ‘Gemma, honey, you‘re right away with the fairies. Are you all right?‘ Betty was looking at her in concern, and Gemma realized she hadn‘t heard a word that Betty had said.
    ‘I‘m sorry. It‘s just…‘ She couldn‘t begin to explain what was wrong, and especially not in front of Charlotte.
    ‘Look, Gemma,‘ said Charlotte, holding up her paper. She had drawn stick figures, the larger two red and blue, the smaller one yellow. They were a bit squiggly, but still recognizable as people. ‘That‘s a mummy and a daddy and a little girl,‘ Charlotte informed her.
    Gemma studied the picture with the seriousness it deserved. There were clouds, and a sausage-shaped thing with legs near the yellow stick figure‘s feet. ‘That‘s very good, lovey. The little girl is yellow. That‘s a happy colour. And is that her dog?‘
    ‘Georgy,‘ Charlotte said. She still couldn‘t manage the d sound in Geordie. ‘I want to see Georgy.‘
    ‘Maybe you can come over for a bit, this afternoon or tomorrow, if it‘s all right with your Auntie Betty here.‘ To Betty, Gemma added, ‘The boys are quite smitten. As are the dogs,‘ she added, summoning a smile. ‘Sid, I‘m not so sure about.‘
    ‘You should stay and have some lunch,‘ said Betty. ‘I‘ve