And wondered.
I imagined if this was really our family, if Seph genuinely was in this for the long haul, whether we were a phase. Insecurity smothered me like an unwashed blanket. Rose was smiling and laughing, enjoying the attention as I knew she would do.
But what if all of this was taken away from us? What if Seph decided he didn't want an already made family? Had we become too close too soon?
Had I made a mistake?
“So what haveyou got to tell me?”
Olivia looked uncomfortable, and I noticed that she'd forgotten to apply her lipstick, which was always a tell-tale sign that something was on her mind, something she didn't really want to talk about but knew she should.
“Shall we eat first?” Her smile was not in the slightest bit genuine, and I was concerned that this was going to be something serious.
“I don't really have any appetite at this moment in time.” I put the menu down and stared at her. “How about we talk first and eat later?”
She gave me the look that she always produced when she hadn't got her way.
“Well let's at least choose something off the menu and get our order in.” She picked my menu back up and passed it to me. Clearly this was going to be a war, a battle of who was the most stubborn. And I wouldn't put bets on who would win.
“No.” I put the menu back down. I knew what I wanted anyway, the same thing I always ordered when we came here. This was the cafe we visited whenever Olivia had news. I don't think she realised that, I reckoned she thought that she was choosing somewhere nice to try and obliterate any annoyance that she was about to cause, and she would be hoping that the strawberry tart and chocolate eclair I would inevitably choose for desert, would sweeten me up enough to not be mad at her. “I'm really not hungry and I want to know what you have to say.”
Olivia glared at me again. If looks could kill I would now be six feet under, beneath a pile of moss, leaves, and possibly a gravestone with somebody else's name on it.
“I really think you should order first.”
“Not until you give me a hint of what this is about.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed in exactly the same way that she had been doing since she was thirteen years old.
“Fine, but if you're mad at me make sure you eat before you storm out.”
“You sound like you're ten. I'm sat here thinking you've got something horrible, like some nasty diagnosis, or you secretly got married to that really horrible boy from primary school that you had that stupid crush on.” I couldn't remember his name, but I knew she would know who I meant.
There was another huff. She got comfier in her seat and twiddled her fingers.
“Just spit it out, Liv.”
“Fine. You know how hard I've been working, and all the time I've been spending abroad?”
I nodded. She had been working stupid hours, and travelling all over the place.
“I've decided to take some leave and go and stay with Mum in Spain.”
I frowned and stared at her. “That's your news?”
Olivia shrugged. “I know you find it hard with work when you don't have anyone to pick up Rose. I felt really bad being away so much and leaving you to do it all. But I need to take a break, and sitting on a sun lounger for four weeks with just a book, a cocktail and the beach sounds exactly like what a doctor would prescribe. It just leaves you with a lot to manage.”
I wasn't entirely sure what to do. I'd spent at least ten minutes seriously concerned that there was something wrong with my sister. Which clearly there was. She had a flair for the dramatic that was completely unnecessary.
“Honestly, I've managed better than I thought I would with picking Rose up from Elspeth's every day. It's meant I’ve had to take more work home, but it's worked out okay. But you know what?”
“What?”
“How about I…” I stopped; my attention stolen elsewhere.
Liv turned round, obviously trying to work out what I was staring at. Or who I was staring at.
“Who's that?”
