Free Matilda Wren by When Ravens Fall Page A

estate. What is there to show off about that? Maureen had made sure her home was always immaculately presented though and, thanks to Sean, she had brand new furniture in every room, all mod cons; surely that should count for something.
    Her other daughter, Maisy, was a different entity altogether. She suffered deep bouts of depression, always had done, ever since she was a child. It started when she was about nine years old. She would suddenly just stop talking and stare into space for hours. The only person that could seem to get through to her when she was like that was Sean.
    Being five years older than her and the fact he also had tendencies to shut everyone out, it marvelled Maureen that such closeness between them existed. He would sit with her for hours during her bad days. He would hold her and stroke her hair and whisper endearments into her ear. He had a lot more patience than she gave him credit for.
    Sometimes she just wanted to shake her daughter and yell at her to snap out of it. She had tried to get her to see a doctor a few times but Sean was always dead set against it. Always telling her to let it be, that any family problem should be sorted out within the family; it didn’t do for outsiders to get involved. Sean insisted there was nothing wrong with her but the last few years had been the worst.
    Maureen couldn’t believe it when her youngest daughter went into labour on the kitchen floor. She was only eighteen. She didn’t even know she was seeing anyone, let alone pregnant but sure enough she helped deliver her granddaughter into the world. Tiny little thing she was, still was now, at the grand old age of three.
    Maureen and Mick had raised the child since Maisy gave birth; she had never shown any interest in the girl.
    Maisy never said who the father was and Sean saw to it that the girl wanted for nothing. He spoilt her rotten and that made Maureen feel uncomfortable.
    She didn’t know why, it was just a feeling that rooted itself in her mind. As she watched the child now playing in the sand pit, in her newly landscaped garden, she counted her blessings the innocent thing had no idea just how fucked up her family was.
    She saw Maisy standing at her bedroom window looking down at them. Maureen waved up at her but Maisy didn’t wave back. She didn’t smile or even acknowledge her mother or her daughter. Another deep sigh engulfed her. Perhaps Sean’s visit today would cheer the girl up, she thought, although Maisy seemed distant from him too, since she had the baby.
    Back in Maureen’s day, they would call it bad nerves.
    Nowadays it was termed mental health problems. Whatever it was, Maureen knew there was something seriously wrong with that girl. Her head wasn’t well. She knew Sean saw her as a stupid old woman but she bore the girl for nine months.
    She knew when something wasn’t right with her own flesh and blood. Just like she knew there wasn’t something right with him. Still, she kept her own counsel on that.
    Maisy had been such a sweet natured child. She was always smiling and laughing. She had long fair hair, so shiny and glossed it could illuminate the ocean on a dark stormy night; her natural grace and beauty possessing the ability to light up a room whenever she walked in.
    Everybody wanted to be in her company, even Sean, especially Sean. Maureen had encouraged it, finally grateful that he was forming an attachment to someone. Then she just switched off the light around her one day and it never came back on.
    She looked back up at the window, where her daughter was still standing. An old, matted brown, dressing gown hung off her waiflike figure. Her wrists bore the evidence of past attempts of self harm.
    The long shinning hair that was the colour of sunshine, now hung limply around her face. She had such a vacant look in her eye and once again Maureen felt anxious for her daughter.
    Sean may not want intervention from outsiders but Maureen knew she wasn’t equipped to deal with