Stutter

His stutter always came back when he was frightened. '' Are they going to lock him up?'' he said, his eyes big and round. It took him ten attempts to get his tongue around the word 'lock'.

Kit thought suddenly that if she had been given a wish now, at this very moment, it would have been that Emmet's stutter would go. Sometimes it would be that she had long blonde hair like Clio, or that her mother and father might be friends with each other like Dr. Kelly and Mrs Kelly were.

But tonight it would have been Emmet's speech.

When Mr Sullivan had been taken away, Dad and Clio's father went for a drink. Mother went back inside without a word. Kit saw her moving around the sitting room, picking up objects and putting them down, before going to the bedroom and closing the door.

Kit knocked.

''Come in, sweetheart.'' Mother was sitting at the dressing table brushing her hair. She looked like a princess when her hair was down.

''Are you all right, Mam? You seem a bit sad.''

Mother put her arm around Kit and drew her towards her.

''I am fine, just fine. What makes you think I am sad?''

Kit didn't want to tell about seeing her through the kitchen window. ''Your face.''

''Well, I suppose I am sad about some things, like that poor fool being tied up and taken off to a mental home for the rest of his life because he couldn't drink in moderation. And about Rita's selfish, greedy parents who had fourteen children and let the older ones rear the younger ones until they could send them out as skivvies and then take half their wages from them... Otherwise, I am fine.''

Kit looked at her mother's reflection in the mirror doubtfully.

''And are you fine, my little Kit?''

''Not really. Not completely fine.''

''What would you like that haven't got?''

''I'd like to be quicker.'' Kit said. ''I'd like to understand things immediately, the way Clio does, and to have fair hair, and to be able to listen to one thing while saying another. And be taller.''