Annabel, unable to believe what she was hearing, momentarily forgot about Dan. As her sister finally turned to make her exit, she stopped her in her tracks. ‘You want advice?’ she asked. ‘Fromme?’
Annabel wondered if she should be worried. Rebecca was usually the one giving counsel, not receiving it. She never asked for anyone’s opinion on anything. Rebecca was one of those women who simply got on with things; who coped no matter what life threw at her. Annabel knew she must have swallowed a lot of pride to come here and ask for help like this; especially from her littlesister.
‘Really?’ sheadded.
‘Really,’ saidRebecca.
Annabel looked at the woman and realised she’d never seen her quite so unhappy. Harassed, yes, but not dejected like this. After everything Rebecca had done for her over the years, Annabel couldn’t just let her go. This was her chance to do something in return and she wasn’t about to let the opportunityslide.
She checked the clock again and told herself that, if she was quick, she might be able to prevent Dan’s arrival. ‘Look, let me make a quick call and get changed,’ she said, digging her mobile out of her bag. ‘Then we can have a sit down and aproperchat.’
‘No, don’t worry about it,’ said Rebecca. ‘It can wait. I don’t want to spoil yourplans.’
Annabel ignored the protests and began dialling anyway. She didn’t want to let her sister down. ‘Honestly, I can re-arrange.’
‘Annabel,’ said Rebecca, stepping forward to stop her. ‘It’s not a problem. We can talk about it someothertime.’
Disappointed, Annabel sighed and clicked her phone off; she could tell her sister meant what she said. Back to her usual controlled self, the moment hadpassed.
‘But before I get off, you don’t mind if I use your bathroom, do you? I’ve been dying for a wee all the wayoverhere.’
With no choice but to admit defeat, Annabel nodded. ‘Of course you can,’shesaid.
She watched Rebecca leave the room before taking a seat at the kitchen table. Her sister may have suggested they re-arrange, but she knew they wouldn’t. That wasn’t Rebecca’s style. Asking for advice would’ve been hard enough in the first place and there was no way she’d allow herself to go through the stress of it again. Annabel felt at a loss. She supposed she’d just have to insist, regardless of any excuses the woman might try and comeupwith.
Annabel heard footsteps and she listened to Rebecca making her way back down stairs. She steeled herself, ready to assert some authority; Annabel wanted her sister to know that she was around day ornight.
‘Care to tell me what this is doing here,’ said her sister, appearing in thedoorway.
Annabel froze. Momentarily lost for words, Rebecca’s problems suddenly vanished.Fuck!If ever she wanted the ground to swallow her whole, it was now. With its corner pinched between her finger and thumb, there was no escaping her sister’s disgust as she held up one of the porn magazines. The poor woman would be washing her hands forweeks.
‘Well?’ saidRebecca.
Having completely forgotten about the candles, the glass jar and the magazines, Annabel cringed like never before. She felt her cheeks flushing red. ‘I canexplain.’
Annabel’s blushing intensified as Rebecca slowly stepped forward and carefully placed the offending item on the table right in front of her. ‘No need,’ she said, gathering up her belongings. ‘Ishouldgo.’
Annabel’s embarrassment turned to confusion. The sister she knew would be ranting and raving by now, asking her what the hell she thought she was playing at. She certainly wouldn’t justwalkaway.
She jumped up from her seat and hastily shoved the magazine into a drawer, before following Rebecca out into the hall. ‘Please don’t go,’ she said. ‘At least not like this.’ She felt powerless. Marching straight for the front door, Rebecca was clearly having none of it. ‘Rebecca,’ she continued toplead.
While ignoring Annabel’s plight, her sister simply grabbed the handle and pulled the front doorwideopen.
Annabel’s eyes widened in horror as she saw Dan standing there, his finger poised over the doorbell, ready to signal hisarrival.
Dan appeared as equally as surprised, he smiled. ‘Oh, hello,’ he said, friendly asanything.
As if things couldn’t get anyworse.
Annabel squirmed as her sister glared from him, to her, and back again; and without a single word simply continued onherway.
‘Was it something I said?’ asked Dan, clearly wondering what that was allabout.
Annabel slumped against the hallway wall; she knew that she’d be lucky if her sister ever spoke to her again. ‘Well that’s really gone and done it,’ she said. She took a moment before straightening herself up. ‘You’d bettercomein.’
With nothing else for it, she headed straight to the kitchen leaving Dan no choice but to follow her down the hall. ‘Cuppa?’ she asked. Offering him a drink was the least he deserved after that littlescene.
He seemed to hesitate, then think better of it. ‘Why not,’ hereplied.
