Page 96 - The Midnight Library

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‘No,’ she said. ‘It was me. I was just thinking of something. I’m a bit

distant. Sorr y. How are you?’
‘Fine. We took Sally to the vets yesterday.’
She assumed Sally was a dog. Her parents had never had a dog, or any pet .
Nora had begged for a dog or a cat when she was little but her dad had

always said they tied you down.
‘What was wrong with her?’ Nora asked, tr ying to sound natural now.
‘Just her ears again. at infection keeps coming back.’
‘Oh right,’ she said, as though she knew Sally and her problematic ears.

‘Poor Sally. I . . . I love you, Dad. And I just want to say that—’
‘Are you all right, Nora? You’re sounding a bit . . . emotional.’
‘I just didn’t . . . don’t tell you that enough. I just want you to know I love
you. You are a good father. And in another life – the life where I quit

swimming – I am full of regret over that.’
‘Nora?’
She felt awkward asking him anything, but she had to know. e
questions started to burst out of her like water from a geyser.

‘Are you okay, Dad?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Just. You know . . . You used to worr y about chest pains.’
‘Haven’t had them since I got healthy again. at was years ago. You

remember. My health kick? Hanging around Olympians does that to you.
Got me back to rugby-fit. Coming up to sixteen years off the drink too.
Cholesterol and blood pressure low, the doc says.’
‘Yes, of course . . . I remember the health kick.’ And then another question

came to her. But she had no idea how to ask it. So she did it directly.
‘How long have you been with Nadia now again?’
‘Are you having memor y problems or something?’
‘No. Well, yes, maybe. I have just been thinking a lot about life recently.’

‘Are you a philosopher now?’
‘Well, I studied it.’
‘When?’
‘Never mind. I just can’t remember how you and Nadia met .’

She heard an awkward sigh down the phone. He sounded terse. ‘You
know how we met . . . Why are you bringing all this up? Is this somet hing
that therapist is opening up? Because you know my feelings on that.’