Free The Secrets Sisters Keep: A heartwarming, funny and emotional novel (The Devlin Sisters Book 2) by Sinéad Moriarty Page B

hand and crumbs all over his face.
    ‘What the HELL is going on?’ I shouted.
    Tom blinked. ‘Sorry, Mummy. The boys said we were allowed to eat cake for breakfast for a special treat.’
    I charged outside. The triplets were hiding in their tree-house. ‘How could you do that?’ I roared. ‘I spent ages making those bloody cakes for your stupid school cake sale and now they’re ruined. Why do you always have to make a mess of everything?’ My voice shook. I had really wanted to make a good impression. I’d placed the roulades on my best plates, surrounded by fresh berries. I knew none of the other mothers was remotely interested in me, but I was pleased that at least my cakes would impress people.
    But now everything was ruined and I didn’t have time to make anything else. The triplets climbed down and shuffled into the kitchen, where Tom was trying to stick bits of cake back together.
    ‘Look, Mummy, I fixed this one,’ he said, pointing to a mound of mushed cake.
    ‘Thanks, Tom, but it’s ruined.’
    ‘Sorry, Mum,’ Leo said.
    ‘We only meant to take a bit, but it was really delicious,’ Liam added.
    ‘Your best cake ever,’ Luke said, ‘like, by miles. We just couldn’t stop eating it.’
    ‘It was  soooooooooo  yum.’ Leo was trying to get round me.
    ‘I feel sick,’ Tom moaned, and threw up all over my trousers.

    I tried not to cry as I changed into a pair of jeans and a plain blue jumper. What was the point in trying to impress the other mothers? I was just boring old Julie. Expensive clothes weren’t going to make me fit in. The triplets would always be in trouble and no one would ever want to invite them or me to their house. I might as well give up now.
    I dropped Tom to school. After vomiting all the cake he had eaten, he felt much better. Then I headed for Castle Academy. I stopped at a garage on the way and bought a coffee cake.
    ‘Well, thanks to you three, all the other mums are going to think I made no effort at all,’ I huffed.
    ‘We said sorry,’ Leo reminded me.
    ‘I’ll tell them that we ate the cakes,’ Luke offered.
    ‘Why don’t you take that cake out and put it on a plate and pretend you made it?’ Liam pointed to the box.
    ‘Because it’s too late for that. I just wish that once in a while you could be good. Really good, like Jess and Clara and Tom.’
    ‘What? Tom just puked all over you, remember?’ Liam was incredulous.
    ‘Yeah, he spewed on you,’ Leo agreed, warming to the theme.
    ‘It was, like, alien vomit,’ Luke said.
    ‘It came flying out like –’
    ‘STOP!’ I shouted. ‘That’s enough.’
    ‘All Jess does is play on her phone and Clara just reads and talks about boring birds. What’s so great about that?’ Leo demanded.
    ‘And Tom’s Mr Perfect. You always say he’s great and we’re terrible,’ Luke said.
    ‘Yeah, Tom’s never in trouble. You never shout at him and get all red in the face with crazy eyes.’ Liam imitated my eyes bulging.
    ‘That is because he doesn’t break things and answer back and get into trouble at school. If you behaved properly, I wouldn’t have to give out to you and my eyes wouldn’t bulge and we’d all be a lot happier and calmer. I’m begging you to be good this term. I do not want the headmaster to call me. If you get into trouble again, I’m going to give your Ronaldo football tops to the kids in Africa.’
    The triplets were clearly shocked. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ Leo said.
    ‘She would.’ Liam knew me better than his brother.
    ‘Dad wouldn’t let you,’ Luke said.
    ‘I’ll do it while he’s at work.’ I had all the angles covered.
    ‘You’re mean,’ Leo said.
    ‘No, I’m not. If I was mean, you’d be in boarding-school.’
    ‘I’d love to go to Hogwarts,’ Liam said.
    ‘Duh, it’s a made-up school in a book,’ Luke told him. ‘You’re such a dork.’
    ‘You’re a moron,’ Liam retorted.
    Luke hit him. Liam thumped him back. A fight ensued, just as I was