It’s a bit like the start of Rhapsody in Blue from that film, and a bit like a fire alarm that doesn’t quite get going. There’s silence and then there’s a whooshing noise lifting up and then the computer sort of hums all day, except you don’t really notice until you switch it off at night. That’s what happened to me when Gus came home, eventually, at nearly six o’clock, when it was dark outside again. I thought I was awake and firing on all cylinders until he opened the door and walked through. Then I went whoosh and started humming, and it felt like I’d had about half as much again blood pumped into me. I felt the smile break out over my face and couldn’t help it. The same daft look spread over his and his neck went red. He picked the kids up, both together, and blew on their necks, but he was looking at me. It wasn’t till after dinner that it all went wrong, and I had no idea what had happened or how to make stop, put it back again. I was washing dishes.
