Читать книгу Guilt: The Sunday Times best selling psychological thriller that you need to read in 2018 - Amanda Robson, Amanda Robson - Страница 28

Her mother is here. In a private visiting room. They are using the legal visit area, because the prison governor is so concerned about her vulnerability and is affording her special treatment, special privileges. Today the prison officers have trusted her to dress in her own clothes. Today she is wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She is hardly eating and so her jeans are hanging off her. Thinner than thin. Paler than pale.

Her mother looks like a ghost of her previous self as well. As soon as her mother sees her she takes her into her arms. She holds her tightly against her body as she did when she was a baby. She strokes her hair. She strokes her back. She kisses her. Her daughter’s body relaxes a little, melts into hers.

‘I love you,’ Mother says. ‘You told me what happened. You know I understand you had no choice. You need to come to terms with what happened. You need to forgive yourself.’

‘I will never be able to forgive myself.’

Her daughter pulls away from her to sit at the plastic table in the visiting room, continuing her whimpering and crying, head in hands. Her crying is uncontrollable. Panic simmers inside her mother’s heart.

‘Stop it. Please stop it,’ her mother says. ‘I’ve lost one of you. I can’t, I won’t, lose you both.’

She moves across to the table and bends down next to her daughter, clinging to her body as much as she is able.

‘Please hold it together,’ she begs. ‘I love you so much.’