I’m unsure if I can sneak in at eleven in the morning, but to be honest, after the last couple of weeks my appearance in last night’s make-up and clothes is unlikely to shock them. My parents are concerned, they have voiced them, several times a day. My brother, Aaron, who is just a year younger seems to be slightly disappointed, but he is with the same girl he was at fifteen, so I suppose I seem to be a bit of a slapper in his eyes. Joel is almost four years younger than me and seems amused, but I suppose at twenty and cute he’s no stranger to the walk of shame. He, however, is discreet and always comes home to his own bed before daylight. I have no clue how Scott feels, he’s a bit of a closed book and doesn’t really express much in the way of opinions, although I imagine that in the religious cult place he and Liv were brought up, opinions were rarely encouraged.
Falling through the front door, I consider going straight up to bed but the sound of laughter filtering through the house draws me in as far as the lounge where I see Liv looking tanned, relaxed and happy.
She sees me straight away and is up on her feet and heading towards me where she pulls me in for huge hug that is accompanied by a whisper of, “Sorry if Mase busted you.”
I have no clue what she’s talking about but allow her to lead me to the sofa where she pulls me down next to her. Quickly, my younger brothers disperse leaving Mum frowning her concern at me again. Scott still says nothing but is chatting to Liv about some jobs he’s applied for. My dad is glaring at me. Clearly, he is pissed off about my night out and I can see he is dying to say something but doesn’t, for now.
I sit and listen to the chatter around me for another ten minutes or so and after failing to stifle my final yawn, I attempt to excuse myself which is when my dad decides to chime in.
“Maybe if you came home at night you wouldn’t need to slope off back to bed,” he snaps, and everyone suddenly looks awkward.
“Dad, I’m not sloping anywhere. I am going to take a shower and redress and then I will be ready to do that cake for Saturday.” I’m lying. The only plan I had was to go to bed, but I do need to bake that bloody cake for the wedding we’re catering on Saturday.
“How long, Anita? How long are we supposed to simply sit back and watch you do whatever it is you’re doing with God knows who?”
I can see Mum literally stepping in. “Nigel,” she warns. “This isn’t the time—” she begins but he cuts her off.
“No, Carol! Enough is enough and it probably isn’t the time, but this is unacceptable.”
Scott looks beyond uncomfortable and is disappearing into the back garden, Liv looks like she might cry while Dad looks beyond angry, angrier than I have ever seen him. The wordsyou’re not my dadare swimming around my head, but I stop myself, just.
He continues goading me to say things that can’t be taken back, not that he knows he’s doing that.
“Why can’t you be more like Livy? You don’t see her behaving like this. She’s found someone she loves; someone she has married.”
The temptation is to point out that his precious Livy picked Mase up as a one-night stand and shagged him without even knowing his name, but I don’t. Although I think Liv knows how close I am to the edge.
“Dad,” she says, and he turns to face her. “Anita is a grown woman. You need to let her make her own decisions.”
“Do I indeed?”
She is clearly shocked by his firm, terse tone and I am kind of hoping Mase will walk in to hear him speak to her that way, but then I remind myself that his current tone, although aimed at Liv is definitely down to me.
“Well, maybe everyone needs to remember that while you live under our roof, we have expectations.”
I don’t need to say anything because Liv does now and she stops our dad dead, so much so that I end up feeling sorry for him and guilty that my actions have caused this.
“Yeah, well I don’t live under your roof. Haven’t done for a very long time so your expectations don’t impact on me, but whether you like it or not, she, Anita, is not a child and if you continue to treat her as one, she won’t be living under your roof either.” She then turns her attention to me. “You really do need to go and have a shower and maybe think about what he said.”
I nod and am happy to leave the room, offering a single and heartfelt, “Sorry,” to my parents.
The sound of Liv walking behind me up the stairs is a shock, as are her words to me. “I would like to know just what the fuck is going on with you!”
Liv follows me to my room, sits on the bed and waits for me while I have a shower and because I am not overly confident of my own body I quickly redress in the bathroom before returning to her.
“So?” No more words are required.
I tell her about my dinner date with Dec and how it all went tits up and she looks genuinely surprised.
“Wow.” She exhales slowly. “I would have punched him,” she tells me sounding slightly disappointed that I only slapped him. “He is a man whore but that’s a bit shitty. He’ll fuck you in his bed but doesn’t want you to sleep in it.” She is shaking her head when she suddenly seizes upon my night out. “Hang on, if you weren’t with Dec, which is what I meant about Mase busting you…shit, I’ll come back to Mase. Who were you with if not Dec?”
I explain about Jack, and she looks sceptical, but why wouldn’t she be if I am.
“I am in no position to judge,” she concedes. “I knew Mase intimately and he’d told me he didn’t date girls who shag him on the first night before I knew his name. Oh, and thanks for not outing that to Dad. It must have been tempting. Although from that to this, happily married and preg— shit, I am supposed to be keeping this to myself until I’ve seen a doctor, but you’re my sister, so it doesn’t count.” She grins and then physically beams as she says the word in full, “I am pregnant.”
We hug and I mutter a variety of congratulations before Liv moves back to her earlier reference to Mase.
“Mase has gone to see Dec. Dad said it’s been a struggle with the gas explosion at the kitchen so we thought you might be able to make use of Dec’s kitchen, especially in the day. Sorry, I didn’t know…”
