The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3050 by Angharad Copyright© 2016 Angharad

---

This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
*****

I withdrew the bucket from under its sleeping partner and emptied in the toilet then rinsed it out with clean soapy water. Taking it back in I placed it under Julie’s arm which caused her to rouse enough to open an eye.

“Hi Mummy, what day is it?”

“I think you probably know that.”

“Don’t make me think, my head hurts too much.”

“Here, drink plenty of this,” I offered her the bottle of water. She drank about half of it and thanked me. The water seemed to wake her up a little.

“What are you doing in here anyway?” she said sitting upright for first time since I’d entered the room.

“I came to ask you why you’re doing this to yourself?”

“Waddyou care?”

“I care rather a lot. I’ve invested a great deal of time and energy in getting you to where you said you wanted to be to seemingly find it wasn’t what you wanted after all. Perhaps you regret becoming a woman and being my adopted daughter.”

She took a moment to process what I’d just said. “Hang on a moment.” She paused to get her disjointed thoughts together into something resembling coherence. “I don’t regret ever becoming a woman or your daughter, best thing I ever did.”

“So why are you on this course of self destruction?”

“What d’ya mean?”

“This promiscuity and intoxication.”

“Can’t you use smaller words that don’t hurt my head?”

“Stop stalling for time and answer the question.”

“What was it again?”

“Why are you seemingly getting a reputation as an easy lay especially if you’re drunk?”

“Who said that?”

“You did earlier.”

“If I did I musta been lyin’,” she drank some more water.

“It seems other people have noticed too and brought it to my attention.”

“Big deal, I’m an adult now in case you hadn’t noticed, so I’m entitled to drink and fuck if I want to.”

“I had noticed that your body had matured to adulthood.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? My body has matured—what? What about my mind? At least it’s not up its own arse like someone I know.”

“Meaning me?”

“If the cap fits.”

“I’m here because I’m concerned about your recent behaviour and worried because you’re letting yourself down.”

She laughed in my face, “Listen to yourself, will ya?”

“You’re only jealous because you didn’t have the guts to do the same.”

“I don’t think so, Julie. If that’s what you really think, then you don’t know me at all.”

“That’s a two way street, do you know me at all?”

“Obviously not as well as I thought.”

“So you’re not as clever as you think.”

That annoyed me and I went off in a huff. Despite me being the sober one, her barbs had more penetration than mine because I didn’t wish to hurt her, just help her become more responsible, especially when out for the evening.

“It’s not my intelligence that’s being debated here and you know it.”
“No it’s mine, so that won’t take long will it?”

“I think I’ll come back when you’ve grown up.” I moved towards the door.

“Don’t hold your breath, some of us never will grow old and crabby.”

I hoped that wasn’t a reference to a possible suicide threat. “I’m going.” I moved towards the door.

“Bye,” she called and laid back down again. I left feeling defeated in every sense.

I returned to my study stopping at the kitchen to make a cuppa en route. I sat and tried to work out where we’d got things wrong with Julie but nothing seemed to compute. Therefore this had to be something from her past not from our collective one. I didn’t know if that was reassuring or more frightening.

Simon wandered into the study with a cuppa, so I forgave him interrupting the exercise I was giving my remaining viable brain cell. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Sorry, darling, I went up to speak with Julie.”

“That would explain it.”

“Explain what?”

“Why she was in tears.”

“Did she tell you why she was crying?” Sometimes they confide in him rather than me.

“She didn’t even notice I was there.”

“Oh, perhaps I’d better go and see her then?”

“Just sit there and drink your tea, let her sort herself out, she’s big enough now.”

“Is she?”

“If she’s old enough to go on benders, she’s old enough to work out why.”

Part of me agreed with him but mostly I didn’t, then he’s her dad, I’m her mum and it’s my job to be concerned. I gobbled down the rest of my tea, “Couldn’t get me another, could you—that was delicious.”

“So you can nip up to Julie’s room while I’m in the kitchen.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because you would.”

He was clearly getting used to me. Time for plan B—yeah, time to devise one. This dealing with sentient Simons was very distracting.

“It was wasn’t it?”

“Would I pull a stunt like that?”

“Yes, d’you think I’m stupid?”

I rolled my eyes instead of answering him.

“Oh so you do—thanks a bunch.”

“Look, you stay here and I’ll go and make my own tea.”

“Why would I stay here?”

“So you can see me drink my tea.”

“What instead of going up to Julie’s?”

I rolled my eyes again.

“Well I’m at a disadvantage here, I’m up against a woman.”

“Glad you noticed. Be back in a few.” I took my cup and walked out into the hall where upon I left it on the cabinet there and dashed upstairs. Julie was still sniffing and sobbing. I seated myself on the edge of the bed. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

“I wish I was dead.”

“Why?”

“Because I fuck up everything I touch.”

“What have you messed up then?”

“My life.”

“That’s a bit vague, could you be more specific?”

“My relationship with you and Dad for starters...”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m fast turning into a nympho drunk, understand that?”

“I understand the words not the comparison to you.”

“Always so bloody goody-goody aren’t you?”

“I think you know me well enough not to need me to answer that.”

“Sorry—see what I mean?”

“Right, let’s start this from the beginning. How have you messed up your life?”

I sat there while she alternately sobbed and sniffed while she outlined every mistake she’d made since our fateful meeting that cold early morning. I tried to overturn all the negatives and show her that she was imagining them, but she wasn’t buying. I felt out of my depth and finally asked her if she’d speak with Stephanie tomorrow if I could make her an appointment. She reluctantly agreed. I also got her to agree not to try and find a short term solution to a long term problem. Her reply was that she’d promised never to try that again. I told her that I was accepting her word that she wouldn’t.

I rushed into the kitchen and made two cups of tea and went to the study. Simon was sitting on one of the sofas fast asleep. “Here,” I said tapping his leg with my foot and holding out a mug of tea.

“Where’ve you been?” he asked yawning.

“Making the tea, you nodded off.”

“Oh yeah.” He drank his tea and went off to bed while I called Stephanie who agreed to come for dinner tomorrow.