Chapter 52 · Month 32 · Starting a Family

The Long Walk

Telling her parents, then his mother

Oldest line first — the newest line is at the bottom.

      
            Penny
            teacher
            06:02
          
I've been meaning to say this since the test: I don't want to talk about months and timing every single night. Saturday I'll do my mum, you do yours, and we say the happy bit and the money in the same breath.

            Algy
            designer
            06:03
          
Fair enough — and the bleached sprouts are still in the fridge, so at least one thing in this flat is planned. Two things before Saturday, though: what do I say if your mum asks the pre-nup question again, and do we eat before or after?

            Penny
            teacher
            06:04
          
My mum once asked my dad, at a christening, whether he'd thought about his pension — then handed him a sandwich like she'd won something. On Saturday you answer her straight, and then you ask her what she's doing for Christmas, because that's the only thing that actually stops her.

            Algy
            designer
            06:05
          
Saturday I'll answer her straight, then ask about Christmas — and I'm ringing my mum tonight, before your dad gets his arithmetic in, and telling her the number, $870 down and the rest on us.

← Chapter 51

What the audience made of it

Algy 0 Penelope 0 Both 0 0 votes

The next chapter opens with these numbers on the table. The character with fewer votes is expected to demand a recount.

The story fund →