The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler (electric book reader txt) 📕

who changed my life when, that fateful day twenty-seven years ago, I sat down beside her in Maths class. Another dream, another nightmare. Her face looming over me in the darkness, the sound of a distant wailing echoing in my ears.

Breathe, Beth. It was a dream. Just a dream.

I look around the room. Someone has taken my glass away and covered me with a blanket. The coffee table has been cleared, the television turned off, and the remote is sitting neatly on the sideboard. My mouth feels dry and my head is fuzzy; I know I’ve drunk far too much. How embarrassing to fall asleep when my friends are here, and leave my mother to see them out and tidy up. But right now, I’m too tired to care. Stiff and weary, I haul myself out of the chair and head up to bed.

Chapter 15

‘What a beautiful morning.’

‘It is, isn’t it?’

It’s the morning after the night before, and Mum and I are drinking tea and nibbling chocolate cake in the garden as the weather is surprisingly mild. I’m a little hungover, if I’m honest, but the fresh air and cake is helping. I probably shouldn’t be eating it, not with my bulging waistline, but this is a celebration, of sorts – the one-week anniversary of our reunion – and Mum’s making plans. She’s just told me she’ll write a list and email it to Liv later, get her to send on more clothes and bits and pieces.

‘It’s getting warmer every day. If I’m going to move in for a bit, I’ll need more than I’ve got with me in that holdall,’ she says. She pauses as a sparrow lands briefly on the edge of the patio table, considers us for a moment, then flies off again.

‘Well, I’m seriously impressed by how much you managed to fit in it,’ I say. ‘You’re obviously a lot better at packing than I am. Once when Jacob and I took the kids to Spain for a week I managed to take six pairs of shoes and no knickers.’

She snorts at that, and I laugh too, happy that I’ve amused her. I crave her approval, I’ve begun to realise; I yearn for it, like a child who wants to impress a cool, older school mate. Is that really sad? It probably is, but hey.

‘So, what did you think of Crystal?’ I ask. ‘She’s nice, isn’t she?’

Jacob and Crystal had popped by to pick up the kids earlier, and this time Crystal had come into the house looking fresh-faced and youthful in jeans and a Breton top, her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

‘She’s desperate to meet your mother,’ hissed Jacob. ‘I told her all about her and she’s intrigued.’

‘Everyone seems to be,’ I hissed back, and we headed into the kitchen where Mum was helping Finley with his shoes as Eloise packed her homework books into her little overnight case.

I made the introductions and then left them to it for a couple of minutes, going upstairs to check Finley’s bag and add pyjamas and a toothbrush. When I came back down, there were smiles all round. Crystal was perched next to Mum on the little kitchen sofa admiring the chunky brushed-metal pendant on a black suede cord she was wearing around her neck.

‘I just love this, Alice,’ she was saying. ‘You look fabulous.’

Now, Mum nods and takes another sip from her mug.

‘She’s delightful,’ she says. ‘I can see why Jacob fell for her … Oh gosh, sorry, love. That was tactless …’

She groans and covers her face with her hands, peeping at me comically through her fingers and I laugh.

‘It’s fine, don’t be silly! It’s all water under the bridge, all very mature and amicable. She is lovely and I’m glad you liked her.’

Mum uncovers her face.

‘Phew,’ she says. ‘Well, that’s all right then. She seems very young. I suppose that’s men for you though, always after a younger model.’

I shrug.

‘Not that young. She’s thirty-five, so only five years younger than me.’

‘Oh.’ Mum looks surprised. ‘She looks great, then. She’s so slender.’

I’m sure she glances down at my stomach as she speaks, just for a second, and I shift uncomfortably in my chair and pull at the fabric of my old grey sweatshirt which is pulled tight across my tummy. But she’s smiling now and shaking her head.

‘And that wasn’t a dig at you, my darling. A bit of weight suits you. You’re a curvy girl. Don’t worry about it.’

She leans across the table and pats my hand but I know she’s just trying to be nice. I need to get on top of this extra weight soon, before it gets out of hand. But … I look at my cake.

Maybe not today. Tomorrow. I’ll start tomorrow.

I’m about to start eating again when Mum says, ‘Look, this is a bit awkward, but I just wanted to tell you … well, just mention, something about last night?’

She’s looking uncomfortable now.

‘What is it?’ I say.

‘Well, it was just something … something … that was said. Something I thought you should know.’

‘What? What is it?’

I’m suddenly feeling nervous; the cake is forgotten.

What’s this about? Oh please, no … Was that Mike talking to Brenda and Barbara outside the other day after all? Did he tell them about me? Was that why Barbara was acting so strangely last night? Oh God, I fell asleep … Did they … did they tell Mum? Did they all sit there talking about me, about that? But surely she’d have mentioned it before now, something so serious …

I’m starting to panic. There’s a tingling in my chest and my fists are suddenly clenched so tightly that my fingernails are digging painfully into my palms. Mum is still talking and I try to focus, try to listen.

What’s she saying?

‘… after you fell asleep? You were so exhausted, love, and we didn’t want to disturb you, so we moved out into the kitchen again and, well, we were just chatting about you really,