Rachel tapped her stomach in response. ‘Babe, I honestly don’t think I can move.’
Aleisha rolled her eyes, jokingly. ‘Come on, walk it off.’ Her eyes actually said: ‘I really need to get out of here.’
‘Yes, great idea, Aleisha. Go on, Rach,’ Uncle Jeremy said, warmly. Leilah smiled weakly in agreement.
The two young women walked down the street, in silence at first. ‘Are you doing okay?’ Rachel asked, and Aleisha could see her cousin’s eyes were teary.
Aleisha took a moment to answer. She focused her eyes on the flyers. The Big Library GetTogether, it said, in Zac’s fancy bubble writing.
‘I’m doing okay, yeah,’ she murmured. ‘I miss him, but that’s normal.’
Rachel took a moment to reply too. ‘He was the best. It just doesn’t feel real, it’s impossible.’
‘It doesn’t make sense,’ Aleisha echoed on autopilot, replaying the conversations she’d had the day of Aidan’s funeral. Shutting her brain off from the emotion for as long as she could.
They walked in silence again, until Aleisha felt her heart start to race. This kept happening recently. She knew in a moment she’d feel breathless. ‘You take these,’ she said, handing Rachel a wad of flyers, ‘and post them on this side. I’ll go to the other side of the street and post them there. Any house, unless it really doesn’t look lived in.’
Rachel shrugged, and Aleisha crossed the road, relieved, taking deep breaths. She slowed down, feeling as though she might collapse at any moment.
In one house she could hear a dog barking, and she reversed as quickly as she could, nearly tripping over the fence. Her breathing quickened again, and she looked over the road. Rachel was posting some flyers and hadn’t even noticed her cousin drowning in the searing, summer air.
She took a deep breath. She didn’t know what to do. She thought of Leilah, hiding away, keeping the truth from everyone. She was scared, she didn’t want to reveal too much of herself. But she knew she needed help, Aidan had needed help, they all did. And Rachel, Rachel had been her best friend, once. And she missed her. She wanted her back. She crossed back over the road, her heartbeat slower now, the sweat on her brow evaporating almost immediately in the heat, and she linked arms with her cousin.
Rachel looked at her and tapped her hand gently. ‘I’m here,’ she said, as though she had heard every one of Aleisha’s thoughts from the other side of the road.
‘Aleisha,’ Rachel said, when they got in. The house was murmuring with quiet activity; Leilah was back in bed, Jeremy was washing up. ‘That Instagram post you did earlier, you should share it with Aidan’s friends. Let them know about it.’
‘I don’t think I can.’ Aleisha shrugged in response.
‘Let me, yeah?’ Rachel put her hand out and Aleisha handed over her phone, feeling a well of relief. ‘Last chance to get people excited.’
‘It’s too late,’ Aleisha muttered, slumping down on the sofa.
Within moments, though, Rachel pointed to Aleisha’s phone. Her feed was littered with people sharing the Library GetTogether post.
‘See, Aleisha, I told you,’ Rachel said with a grin. Aleisha could just fixate on her phone, flashing in front of her, a new notification every few seconds. ‘People actually care, Leish. They care.’
This was what her brother could do – bring people together, as he had always brought people together in his lifetime. To help them feel a little bit less alone.
Chapter 39
MUKESH
BEEP. ‘HI DAD, IT’S Deepali. We’re leaving soon – I’ll see you at the library, okay! Jaya and Jayesh are coming with me. I’m bringing the punch.’
BEEP. ‘Hi Papa, Priya is so excited about today! I’ll drop her off with you first, as I will then go pick up the pressure cooker from Nilakshimasi’s, for final preparations, okay? Priya has made some extra fairy cakes – so I’ll bring them too, okay?’
BEEP. ‘Hi Papa, need me to bring any extra food or drinks and stuff? I can bring chairs too if that’s useful for you guys. Let me know! Well done – I keep thinking Mum would be so proud of you, you know? She was always banging on about setting up an open morning at the library.’
On the day of the Big Library Get-Together itself, Mukesh was amazed that there wasn’t some kind of fanfare when he woke up. His daughters had packed up all the samosas, spring rolls and vada of all types the previous evening, ready to go.