Mom, Maybe Grandma Should Just Go Get Lost? It’d Be Better for Everyone,” Masha Said Defiantly.

“Mum, maybe we should just let Gran wander off and get lost? Itd be better for everyone,” Lily said, a defiant edge in her voice.

“Mum, come on, how much longer? Are you going to bring this up forever?” Fifteen-year-old Lily huffed, offended.

“Not foreverjust while shes living with us. If she goes outside, shell get lost and”

“And die under a hedge, and well live with the guilt forever Mum, seriously, why not just let her?” Lily challenged again.

“Let her what?” Mum frowned, confused.

“Let her go and get lost. You said yourself youre sick of dealing with her.”

“How can you say that? Shes my mother-in-law, not even my own mumbut shes your grandmother!”

“Grandmother?” Lily narrowed her eyes, the way she always did when she was getting worked up. “Where was she when her precious son walked out on us? When she refused to babysit meher own granddaughter? She never spared you a thought when you were scraping pennies together doing any job you could find. And she blamed you when Dad left!”

“Stop it, right now!” Mum snapped. “I shouldnt have told you any of this.” She sighed. “Ive raised you badly if youve no compassion leftnot even for family. It terrifies me. When Im old, will you treat me like this? Whats happened to you? You used to be such a kind girl. Youd bring home every stray kitten or puppy you found. Gran isnt a stray” Mum shook her head wearily. “Shes already suffered enough. Your dad didnt just leave ushe left her too.”

“Mum, youll be late for work. Ill lock the door, I promise.” Lily gave her a guilty look.

“Fine. Weve already said too much” But Mum didnt move.

“Mum, Im sorry, but it hurts to look at you. Skin and bones. Youre only forty, but you walk like an old woman, barely dragging your feet. Always exhausted. Why are you staring at me like that? Who else will tell you the truth if not your own daughter?” Lily didnt realise she was raising her voice again.

“Thanks. Just make sure she doesnt leave the gas on or flood the bathroom.”

“See? Thats what Im sayingwere chained to her. No life of our own. Mum, lets put her in a care home. Shed be safe there. She doesnt understand anything anymore”

“Not this again!” Mum cut her off.

“Itd be better for everyone, especially her,” Lily pressed on, ignoring Mums growing irritation.

“I dont want to hear another word. Im not sending her away. How long does she have left? Let her stay at home.”

“Shell outlive both of us. Go to work. I wont leave, and Ill lock the doorI promise,” Lily repeated darkly.

“Im sorry. Ive dumped too much on you All your friends are out having fun, and youre stuck looking after Gran.”

They hadnt noticed Grans door was ajar. Shed heard everything, though she probably wouldnt remember it in a minute.

Mum left for work, and Lily went into what used to be her roomnow Grans.

“Gran, do you need something?” she asked.

Grans vacant stare gave no answer.

“Come on, Ill give you a sweet.” Lily helped her up and led her to the kitchen.

“Who are you?” Gran blinked at her blankly.

“Have your tea,” Lily sighed, placing a sweet in front of her.

Gran loved sweets. She and Mum hid them, only giving her one with her tea. Lily watched as Gran fumbled with the wrapper. Through her thin grey hair, patches of pale scalp showed. Lily looked away.

Gran used to dye her hair, pile it into elaborate styles. Shed painted her lips bright red, arched her brows high. Lily remembered the cloying scent of her perfume. Men had noticed heruntil her mind began to slip.

Lily couldnt decide what she felt for Gran: pity, irritation, resentment? A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Mum mustve forgotten something,” she muttered, going to answer.

But it was her friend, sixth-former Tom. Mum didnt approve of him, so he timed his visits for when she was out.

“Hi. Youre earlyMum just left,” Lily whispered.

“I know. She didnt see me.”

“Millie!” Grans voice carried from the kitchen.

“Whos Millie?” Tom asked.

“Thats what she calls Mumthinks shes her daughter. Ill take her back to her room. Go hide in the loo. Shes having a lucid day.” Lily shoved him toward the bathroom.

“Theres no one there,” she muttered, returning to find an empty cup and wrapper on the table.

“I want tea,” Gran said.

“But” Lily gave up.

Gran forgot things instantlyespecially the recent past. But her distant memories clung stubbornly. Sometimes she confused them all, didnt recognise them. But very rarely, shed have moments of claritybrief, fleeting.

Lily couldnt tell if Gran was playing her for another sweet or genuinely forgot shed just had tea. Who could know? She sighed, poured another cup, and set out another sweet.

Gran struggled with the wrapper. When the cup was empty, Lily led her back to bed.

“Sleep now,” she said, shutting the door.

Tom peered out from the loo.

“Can I come out?”

“Yeah. Kitchen.” Lily checked the door and followed him.

They sat close, sharing earbuds, nodding along to music. Lily didnt notice Gran slip past them

When she went to see Tom out, the front door was open. She rushed to Grans roomempty.

“The door I didnt lock it. Shes gone. Mumll think I did it on purpose,” Lily wailed.

“Why would she think that?” Tom asked.

“You dont get it. Earlier, I said itd be better if she got lost. Mumll think I left it open out of spite.”

“Right, get your coatwell find her. She cant have gone far,” Tom said.

Lily checked the coat rackGrans quilted jacket was still there. So were her shoes.

“Did she go out in slippers and a dressing gown?” she gaped.

“Maybe shes at a neighbours? Got confused on the landing Ill check outside, you try the flats,” Tom said, already halfway down the stairs.

No one answered their doors. Lily gave up and ran outside. Tom was scouring the playground, checking bushes and slides.

“Nothing. Lets try the next streets. You go right, Ill go left. Whoever finds her first calls. Meet back here,” Tom ordered, already sprinting.

Lily even checked the bus stop. No sign. How long had it been? Half an hour? Forty minutes? How far could she get in slippers?

“We should call the police,” she said when they regrouped.

“Wait. Thinkwhat did she talk about most? Where did she like going?” Tom panted.

Lily frowned but drew a blank.

“Fine, wider search. You head toward school, Ill go the other way.”

Streetlights flickered unevenly. Lily hurried past dark patches, imagining figures in the shadows. Near the school, she suddenly remembered Grans storyhow shed once forgotten her exercise book, climbed out a first-floor window, and nearly broke her leg.

Gran hadnt gone to this school, but she always told the story passing it. Lily pushed the gateunlocked. The building was a typical red-brick 70s block. Rounding a corner, she spotted a group of lads laughing at someone.

“Gran!”

Gran stood in the courtyard in her blue-grey dressing gown. One boy held out an empty sweet wrapper. When she reached for it, he snatched it back, and they howled with laughter.

“She doesnt even get it. Did you escape the loony bin? Want a sweet?” He dangled the wrapper again.

“Leave her alone!” Lily shouted.

The boys turned.

“Look, another one!”

“Whore you? Her granddaughter?”

“Escaped together, did you?”

“Granddaughters alright though. Want a sweet?” The boy swaggered toward her.

The others followed, no longer laughing. Lily stepped back. They fanned out, blocking Gran, feeding off her fear. Her back hit the fence. The gate was too far. As if on cue, they lunged.

Lily flailed, but there were three of them. One grabbed her wrists; the others pinned her to the fence, hands groping, deciding

“Oi! Back off!” Toms voice cut through.