“Your daddy is a nasty man to Mummy,” Claire muttered in a sweet tone. “When Daddy next changes your bottom, make sure you save him your biggest poo for right after he’s cleaned you all up.”
I wasn’t concerned. My older sister had always had an extra couple of mad frogs in her box. She also adored Killian and vice versa; they just liked to bicker, or rather she did and he liked to ignore her because he knew it irritated the shit out of her.
“What she produces is nothing compared to what I’ve dealt with today,” Callum said. He was sprawled out on the floor opposite Seph with a game of four in a row between them.
“You’d be surprised,” Killian said in the quiet way he had. “I hope none of you suffer it though because it is fucking ugly.”
“Elephant with a stomach upset today,” Callum said. He was a vet and not the type to be limited to small pets and animals. He’d spent the past couple of years working abroad on sanctuaries and in the wild at times, mainly in Africa. He was now back home permanently, working at London Zoo which was better for all of us as we’d seen him far too infrequently while he was away. “That was bigger and smellier than anything my niece could produce, trust me.”
“Be interesting to know proportionally who would win that battle,” Killian said. “And if Seph could compete in terms of vomit after a night out.”
“I can’t help it if I’m drunkenly challenged,” Seph said, denying nothing. There would be no point: at one time or another all of us had carried or dragged him back to ours, lost a toilet for the night and put him in the recovery position covered with towels.
“If you get any heavier we’ll need to start taking a wheelchair out with us. It took both me and Owen to get you upstairs the other week,” Callum said. “Or you could just stop drinking shots. Then you’d at least be able to crawl.”
“Is Owen coming this weekend, Payts?” Jackson said. He had Vanessa sat on his lap and I don’t think anyone had noticed that she wasn’t drinking anything alcoholic.
I shrugged, feeling my neck flush hot. “He’s meeting a friend tonight. I didn’t ask him. I wasn’t sure who else was coming besides us.”
“Amelie and Simone are coming tomorrow and bunking in the coach house. There’s another room available there if he wants to come over. I think we’re barbecuing tomorrow. With a lot of salad and lean chicken,” my mother said, eyeing my father.
He rolled his eyes. “Barbecuing the healthy way. She’ll have a recipe book written before you know it. Didn’t you just say that Simone was coming? She’ll have some ideas of how to still make things tasty then, won’t she?” He sounded desperate. My father liked good food and even better wine. He wouldn’t be bothered about the thought of more exercise, it would be the idea of having to restrict his food and wine intake.
“It’s not a busman’s holiday for her,” Mum said. “She’s not coming here to cook you ten course tasting menus.”
“I didn’t say that. Just that she might have some ideas…” He stopped as Mum glowered at him.
I knew before too long someone would suggest poker and the night would take a turn that way, with plenty of ribbing and joking and accusations, mainly from Seph and directed at Callum. I loved my nights here with my family, where no one had to worry about getting home or sleeping on a sofa. We had wondered if our parents would downsize once Ava moved out, but they’d insisted on keeping the property so there was somewhere for us all to be together. Both of them came from families that owned law firms for generations and we had been lucky growing up to never have to worry about money. That hadn’t meant we were spoiled. Marie’s mother had come from a family that had been poor in the sense they’d barely had enough to eat, so despite marrying into wealth, she’d saved as opposed to spent and taught her multiple children the same. Marie had us well trained with money from the time we left school.
Our childhood home had changed considerably over the years, but the pictures and ornaments had remained the same to a certain extent. And the voices hadn’t altered: I could hear my siblings yelling and teasing, Seph insulting Max so he had no comeback and Victoria laughing. But it felt odd with Owen.
Owen was meeting a friend tonight, as well as arranging his mum’s blind date. He’d set her up with an acquaintance who was a few years younger than Dot and a serial dater. He’d told me about his impulsive lunch with her where he’d mentioned that he was really happy she’d ended it with Dave and gave a list of reasons as to why he hadn’t thought it would work forever. She’d reacted like he thought she would; defensive of Dave and challenging his opinion.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, making me smile because I knew who it would be.
Owen:Operation horrendous date successful. She hated him and he bored her to death.
Payton:Did she say anything about Dave?
Owen:No, just that dating was turning out to be a waste of time. I didn’t stalk her either. She came and found me afterwards.
Payton:Are you still out?I’ve just eaten enough to fill a small country for a week.
Owen:Just got home. My friend’s wife just had a baby so he needed to get back. I’m in bed actually, about to read.
Payton:What are you reading?
Owen:Your texts! No, I’m going to start American Fire. It’s true crime. What are you up to?
Payton:Watching my brothers set up to play poker. I think I’ll head off to bed soon too.
Owen:You’re not joining in?
Payton:No. I’m rubbish at poker. I’m going to get an early night, maybe read in bed for a bit. Claire’s going to bed soon and Mum’s got one of her friends over. Ava hasn’t made it—she’s coming tomorrow instead.
Owen:I thought I saw Ava tonight. Her double was in the Wickentree when I met Ste.
Payton:Who was she with? It could’ve been Ava. She likes it in there. Though according to her, a friend was having a meltdown so she was helping her.
