Free Clean Break by Jacqueline Wilson

punch.
    â€˜No, it can’t!’ Maxie copied, hitting out at Dad too. He didn’t know how to pretend and hit Dad hard.
    â€˜Hey, hey!’ Dad’s voice went suddenly cold and cross.
    Vita and Maxie stared at him, shocked. Dad didn’t ever get cross.
    â€˜Now stop behaving like silly babies, the pair of you. I’ve been longing for you to meet Sarah and this is the perfect opportunity. She’s very special to me.’
    â€˜She can’t be
that
special, Dad. You’ve only been with her since Christmas,’ I said.
    â€˜I’ve known Sarah for six months, Em,’ Dad said quietly.
    â€˜You’ve known Mum years and years and years,’ I said.
    Dad sighed. ‘I thought you’d understand, Em. Now come on, all of you, let’s lighten up. Stop pouting at me, Vita. Maxie, don’t you dare cry. I know you’re all going to love Sarah when you get to know her.’
    We didn’t get to love Sarah. We loathed her.
    We didn’t get to go to McDonald’s. We went to this posh Italian restaurant. Dad insisted on ordering a plate of spaghetti each for Vita and Maxie though I knew they wouldn’t eat it all. Sarah didn’t eat much of hers either, though she messed around with it a great deal, twirling bits round and round her fork and sucking up strands like a little kid. Dad laughed at her, but when I copied he told me to stop messing around and eat properly.
    â€˜Look, you’ve spilled spaghetti sauce all down Sarah’s black sweater!’ said Dad. ‘Em? I’m talking to you.’
    I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t dare take my eyes off my plate in case I burst out crying. Dad didn’t seem to understand how much he’dupset me. He went back to chatting with Sarah. She snuggled right up to him and whispered in his ear. They were like two hateful kids at school ganging up on us.
    I stared at my spaghetti until it blurred into wriggling orange worms. I twisted my emerald ring round and round my finger under the table. I wanted to twist it right off and drop it on the dirty floor. I decided I couldn’t stand Dad any more.
    We went for a walk in a park afterwards. It was cold and drizzling and I shivered in Sarah’s skimpy jacket.
    â€˜Oh poor Princess Emerald, you’ve been fated to be frozen all day,’ said Dad, and he wrapped his arms round me.
    I held myself stiffly but he wouldn’t give up. ‘Let’s thaw you out, my lovely,’ he said, cuddling me close. Then he put his hands under my arms and whirled me round and round. Dad’s slim and I’m shamefully big but he treated me like I was as light as a feather.
    Then he held my hand and started telling me about Princess Emerald in Glacier Land. It seemed so real it truly felt as if we were wrapped in rich furs, gliding over shiny white ice, with polar bears lumbering past, seals barking and waving their flippers, and penguins sliding comically on their tummies down the icy slopes into the black sea. Myheart melted in this freezing fantasy land and in two minutes I loved Dad so much I was willing to forgive him anything.
    I even tried to be polite to Sarah. She didn’t try to be polite to any of us. She walked along hunched up, her arms wrapped tight round her chest. Maxie tried to run after some ducks and tripped and fell headlong. Sarah didn’t unwrap her arms even then. She simply stood still, waiting for someone else to pick him up and comfort him.
    Dad mopped him up and then gave him a piggyback. Vita stalked along by herself, muttering to Dancer.
    I tried to walk in step with Sarah.
    â€˜So where did you meet my dad?’ I asked.
    â€˜Oh, around,’ said Sarah, infuriatingly vague.
    â€˜Do you work at the Palace?’
    â€˜No, no.’
    â€˜So what work do you do?’
    â€˜I’m an actress.’
    â€˜So what have you been in?’
    â€˜This and that.’
    I nodded. Dad usually said that