He grins. “I mean, I think so. But it’s nice to hear you say it.”
I roll my eyes, turning away from him. “Mum!” I shout. “Dad!”
“In here!” Mum shouts back. It sounds like she’s in the kitchen.
I lead Shepard through the living room. Pacey and Priya are playing Nintendo. “Hey,” I say flatly. “This is Shepard.”
Shepard’s ready to launch his usual charm attack, but my siblings just nod and say, “Hey” without looking away from the screen.
Mum’s in the kitchen, standing right under the light, holding Pip’s hand. Pip’s 10, he’s the youngest. He’ll start at Watford in the autumn.
“Penelope,” Mum says. “How’s that reversal spell you’re working on?”
“It’s promising,” I say.
“Pip’s got a splinter. I thought I’d try reversing an ‘Under my skin.’ ”
“You’re not casting experimental spells on my hand,” Pip says.
“I’m good with splinters,” Shepard says. “Can I help?”
“What spell do you use?” Mum asks.
“I usually use tweezers,” he says.
She looks up at him for the first time. “You’re Penny’s friend with the urgent problem.”
“Mum,” I say, “this is Shepard.”
He holds out his hand, but she’s already looking back at Pip, holding her wand over his palm.
“No experiments,” Pip says. “I play piano!”
“You never practice,” she says.
“I will!” he swears.
She hitches her wand up in a plucking motion.“No trespassing!”
Pip yelps. A bit of something flies out his hand.
“I can’t believe that worked,” Mum says.
Pip yanks his hand back—“Mum, you’re the worst”—and stomps out of the room.
Mum finally gives Shepard and me her full attention.
Simon says my mother and I are two peas in a pod.“She’s you in twenty-five years, when you give even fewer fucks.”I don’t see it. Mum’s much tougher than I am. And much smarter. Andmuchmore confident about her hair.
“I don’t think we’ve met before,” she says to Shepard. “What year were you at Watford?”
“Shepard’s a—an American,” I say, before he can say anything.
Mum’s mouth twitches downward. She’d been so pleased to hear that Micah and I were done.“Martin!”she yelled at my dad.“Penelope has finally grown out of the American!”She must think I immediately replaced him.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask. “I want his opinion, too.”
“He had to run out,” Mum says. “You’re stuck with me. Are you two hungry?” She opens the refrigerator. “There are fish fingers, I think. Is Simon hungry, as well? I probably don’t havethatmany fish fingers.”
