Page 8 of The Sleepwalker

‘You’re not my mum.’

‘No, but—’

‘You act like you are, but you’re not.’

‘You don’t need to remind me constantly,’ she said.

‘Would it make any difference if I stopped?’ he asked, turning to look at her.

‘I’m not your mum, but I do live here and I care about you,’ she replied, unable to stop her eyes from welling up.

‘Seriously? You’re doing the whole crying thing? What, so Dad feels sorry for you? So .?.?.’

Hugo trailed off when his phone pinged, and he glanced down at the screen and then left the table without clearing his plate away. Bernard sat quietly with his head bowed, refusing to meet Agneta’s eye. The teenager’s footsteps faded down the hallway, and Agneta heard the front door open, followed by a woman’svoice.

‘Guess the cougar is here,’ she mumbled.

Hugo is in a relationship with a woman called Olga, who is almost twice his age. Agneta has always thought she is beautiful – striking, even – but she has also started to notice a certain steeliness beneath the surface. As though Olga is trying to hide the fact that she is actually a mercenary with her glittery makeup and youthful clothing.

Olga followed Hugo to his room without coming into the kitchen to say hello, and the pair then locked the door and put on loud music.

Agneta has no idea whether Olga stayed over or not, because she took a sleeping pill in order to get some rest. His room is now quiet, in any case, and Hugo likely won’t be out of bed before midday unless someone wakes him.

Bernard has been filled with a strange energy all morning, dancing around their bedroom, folding back the duvet at the end of the bed and kissing each of her toes before hurrying down to the kitchen to make breakfast while she worked on her breathing.

‘Aren’t you going to try the steak?’ he asks.

‘I’m honestly too upset to eat,’ she says, carrying her plate over to the counter.

Agneta goes out into the hallway and puts on her coat. She has just started buttoning it when Bernard appears with a small princess cake and a cup of strong black coffee.

She can’t help but smile as he tries to feed her while she pulls on her boots. He even follows her out to the car in his dressing gown and slippers. It is so cold that the snow that fell overnight will probably linger until the sun rises at around eight thirty.

‘I wouldn’t have to keep going on about this if I thought you were listening .?.?. but could you please tell Hugo that I’m not trying to be his mum?’ she asks, taking the cup. ‘I just want tohave a good relationship with him, and that means I need to be treated like a member of the family.’

‘You’re right. I agree.’

‘But you never do anything about it,’ she says, sipping the coffee before handing the cup back to him.

‘I’ve tried, but I suppose I don’t fully know what you actually expect me to do. He’s seventeen .?.?.’

‘Christ,’ she says, taking a deep breath. ‘I hope you can see that this isn’t working, at the very least .?.?. mostly because you aren’t showing me any loyalty.’

‘I want to .?.?.’

‘Bernard,’ she says softly. ‘I need you to be on my side. Not always, but at least some of the time.’

‘Sorry.’

‘I need your love,’ she continues, wiping the tears from her cheeks. ‘I love being with you, talking books and philosophy .?.?.’

‘The best.’

‘But it’s not enough, that’s what I’m trying to say. I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to ask Mum if I can go and stay with her.’

‘You’re leaving?’

‘I think I just need some space,’ she says as she gets into the car, slams the door and starts the engine.