Pictures of Lily by Paige Toon Page B

arms.
    ‘Hey?’ My brow furrows.
    ‘It’s what a lot of keepers do in this situation. Others prefer to leave them alone so they can go through the mourning process on their own.’
    ‘That’s awful!’ I exclaim. ‘Of course she can sleep with me.’
    ‘I thought you’d say that.’
    ‘Would you have put her in a box by the heater?’ I know I won’t be able to help feeling disappointed if the answer is yes.
    ‘The last two times this happened to me, the joeys lasted in the box for all of ten minutes.’ Ben grins. ‘She would have ended up in bed with me for sure.’
    I smile back at him and feel my stomach tingle.
    ‘Are you going to let Josh take you on any more driving lessons?’ he asks casually.
    ‘No. It’s such a bummer though. Michael has been letting me drive to work on the odd days, but he needs his truck most of the time. I don’t know when I’m going to learn and I’m desperate to pass my test.’
    ‘Won’t your mum teach you?’
    ‘I’m not that desperate.’
    ‘I’ll take you for the odd spin if you like?’
    ‘Would you?’
    ‘Sure. You can drive my car home in the morning.’
    ‘Aw, Ben, you’re the best!’ I could kiss you! Ha ha, have another drink, Lily. I beam at him in a ridiculously OTT fashion and he starts to look uncomfortable, but that only makes me giggle. He drinks his tea and drums his fingers on his thigh. I suddenly find myself yawning.
    ‘Come on,’ he says, putting down his mug. ‘You should get to bed.’
    I’d rather stay up talking to him, but I do as he says.
    I follow him out of the room and down the corridor. He opens up the first door on the left and switches on the light. A double bed on towering bedposts dominates the room. It’s covered with a pretty floral bedspread and I wonder if that, too, belonged to his nan.
    ‘I think I’ve got a spare toothbrush in the bathroom,’ he says. ‘I’ll just go grab it.’
    ‘Thanks,’ I say when he returns.
    ‘Wake me up if the crying gets too much for you,’ he tells me.
    ‘Do you think she’ll cry?’ I ask worriedly, and he nods his head. The solemn look on his face makes me want to cry.
    ‘It’s okay,’ he says softly. ‘She’s going to be fine.’
    ‘I hope so,’ I reply. ‘I really hope so.’
    The joey keeps me awake on and off throughout the night. I don’t rouse Ben. I can’t bear to ask any more of him, but I’m shattered by the time the morning light seeps under the curtains. I lie in bed for a moment, the koala thankfully asleep.
    I dreamed about Ben most of last night. It was the strangest thing. I dreamed about kissing him, about him holding me, about him listening to me and being protective of me. But in the cold light of day, do I still fancy him?
    Yes, I definitely do. For God’s sake, Lily . What’s the big deal? It’s only a crush. I have a crush on an older man! Whoopeedoo. It’s not as if it’s anything serious. It’s not as if anything is actually going to happen, is it? I laugh out loud at the thought. He’d be embarrassed for me if he knew. I shiver with horror.
    The shower turns on in the bathroom. Ooh, I really need a wee. I climb out of bed and grab my clothes, leaving the joey sleeping while I go off in search of a toilet. The door across the corridor is open and I can see into what I assume is Ben’s room. The double bed is still unmade and there are a few clothes draped over a wooden chair next to the closet. I don’t want to pry so I move on to the room next to mine. It’s the second spare room: two single beds, neatly made. The kitchen is at the back of the house with a door that leads out to the garden. There’s another door to the left and I open it, hoping to spy the toilet because I’m getting a bit desperate now, but it’s just a larder. Bollocks. The door to the bathroom opens and Ben appears, along with a cloud of steam.
    ‘Hey!’ he says, surprised to see me.
    ‘Don’t you have a second loo?’ I ask, trying not to look at his really