The No-Show

by Beth O'Leary

Part of the trick of not letting people into your heart is not to care when they lie to you; the trick is not to care what they say at all.

‘It’s because you don’t expect any better.’ ‘Pardon?’ ‘I’ve just validated all your stuff about how people always let you down, haven’t I? You’re not mad because you’re not even surprised.’

‘Don’t worry, though. I make a lot of mistakes, but I try not to make the same one twice.’

Every day is a good day, if you look hard enough.

‘No judgement from me, dear. Colin’s mother still thinks I’m a lady called Bluebell. Sometimes we can’t tell a truth until we’re ready.’

It’s one of those feelings, happiness. One of the ones you don’t really notice is gone until it comes back.

This is why it’s important to actually draw a line when you decide you’re going to draw one. Not draw a line and then bloody ring them again and turn up in their hometown at one in the morning.

Being a human is messy, Jane, Aggie told her the other day. No amount of rules can fix that. Sometimes you just need to let yourself feel something, even if it’s ugly.

‘I was honest before,’ Joseph says mildly, and Siobhan laughs. ‘No you weren’t. Nobody is when they want to sleep with someone.’

That sort of kindness, it gets into your bones. Once you’ve felt it, you can’t help but look for ways to pass the feeling on.’

You can be broken. That’s OK. Lots of us are. It doesn’t mean you’re not a wonderful man. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever be happy.’