Free Dark Mirrors by Siobhain Bunni

was going to play off-side he could at least have the decency to be discreet.
    The boys had great fun that afternoon and she actually heard Matthew boast about his new house. They watched Shrek , ate pizza and hunted for bugs in the teeny-tiny back yard. It was a reassuring start.
    Amy, on the other hand, was particularly clingy. Usually she’d be in the thick of it with the boys, but not today – today she became Esmée’s shadow, following her everywhere, sticking to her side like glue. Together they put bedclothes and towels in the hot press, folded and put away the clothes, found places for toys and finally had tea and juice together at the small kitchen table. And, despite her little lady’s odd behaviour, Esmée classed the afternoon’s exercise as a complete success.
    She took the giddy troupe of boys home at five – they were in great form and eager to come again to play.
    Back at the house, promptly at six she heard Lizzie’s car pull up outside and moments later the chime of the doorbell. She was calm, composed, ready and standing on the far side of the timber door, hand on the latch, preparing herself to face the girls. She stood for a moment longer, smiling to herself, listening to the almost audible terse whispers of the two on the other side. They had obviously come prepared, having no doubt discussed their combined strategy en route. Lizzie most likely would have taken the lead and purposely collected Penny from the train to brief her. In a way she felt sorry for them because they really had no idea how to deal with the situation, each advising the other quietly as to the best course of action. Their hushed bickering stopped abruptly as Esmée swung the door open and they stood facing her. Armed with a bunch of flowers and two bottles of wine they looked like they had been caught with their hands in the biscuit tin. And for a brief moment they just stood there looking at their elder sister, all fingers and thumbs, not knowing what to say before finally, without consulting each other, they stepped forward in tandem to hold and squeeze her tight.
    Esmée broke the ice with a grand but quick tour of the house and while they seemed suitably satisfied with her new environment, they couldn’t disguise their concern about the cost.
    “How much is it setting you back?”
    “It’s not bad really,” Esmée replied vaguely, not really wanting to reveal the amount, and using her mother’s expert diversion tactics pointed out the brilliance of the flatscreen TV with its record and playback facility.
    The children, already dressed for bed, were sprawled across both of the two-seater couches watching a Disney DVD, exhausted after the day’s events and still a little disorientated. There had been no mention of their father – they were, after all, used to going long periods without seeing him – but Esmée was anticipating a possible bombardment of questions at some point soon. The girls kissed and cuddled their niece and nephew with extra enthusiasm before retreating to the kitchen where Penny rooted for a corkscrew with which to open the wine.
    Esmée brought out three glasses and placed them on the table.
    “None for me,” she instructed as Penny poured. “I have to go out for a couple of hours. Are you okay to hang here till I get back and we can talk properly then?”
    Getting them here under false pretences, kind of, was an unfair ploy she knew, but a necessary one. Anyway, she’d be back in no time and would have plenty of time to fill them in.
    “Where are you going?” they asked, surprised by her declaration, looking at each other in disbelief.
    “I’m collecting Philip from the airport.” Esmée tried to make it sound like she was in control and placed the gift of freshly arranged freesias, her favourite, in the centre of the kitchen table while she calmly spoke.
    Both sisters stopped and stared.
    “What!” they harmonised.
    “I’m collecting him from the airport and I’m going to tell