Free The Edge of Sanity by Sheryl Browne

were signed, when, exactly, were you planning to let Kayla in on your plans? Kayla’s your other daughter by the way, in case you forgot.’
    Daniel looked at her, his expression a mixture of hurt and despair. He shook his head. ‘I think I’d better go,’ he said, turning for the door. ‘I’ll come back when we can talk, rather than …’
    Daniel trailed off, his expression changing swiftly from weary to wary.
    Jo followed his gaze. ‘Oh, no.’ She closed her eyes.
    ‘So which daughter are you arguing about this time?’ Kayla asked, from where she was slouched against the doorframe, arms folded, lower lip belying the couldn’t-care-less body language.
    Jo looked helplessly to Daniel.
    ‘Course, I could’ve been mistaken,’ Kayla eyed her parents accusingly, ‘but I’m sure I heard my name mentioned?’
    Jo stepped toward her. ‘Kayla, I—’
    ‘Nah.’ Kayla shrugged her off. ‘Silly me. Must have misheard. I mean,’ she glared at Daniel and Jo in turn, ‘with Emma’s ghost ever-fucking-present, it couldn’t possibly be me you’d be arguing about, could it? You wouldn’t notice if I dropped dead!’
    ‘Kayla …’ Daniel moved quickly around Jo, who stood white-faced, rooted to the spot.
    ‘Fuck off!’ Kayla backed off, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
    ‘Kayla, cut it out!’ Daniel reached for her.
    Kayla sidestepped. ‘Well, you’re going to, aren’t you?’ She challenged him. ‘ Aren’t you?’
    Daniel met her eyes.
    He could see frightened child’s eyes behind her woman’s mask. He’d sidelined her in all of this. Both of them had focussed only on their own problems. That was unforgivable.
    ‘Kayla, I’m sorry.’ He moderated his tone. ‘We’re both sorry. Okay?’
    Kayla gave him a mutinous glance.
    ‘I shouldn’t have shouted.’ Daniel took a hesitant step toward her, tentatively placing an arm around her shoulder. ‘It’s just, sometimes adults … That is, parents—’
    Kayla recoiled in an instant. ‘Oh, spare me the not being able to live together crap.’ She glowered at him, her eyes blazing. ‘Are you going to tell me next you both still love me?’
    Jo tried again to reach out to her. ‘Of course we do. Kayla, don’t do this, hon—’
    ‘Don’t!’ Kayla backed off. ‘I don’t want you touching me.’
    Jo winced, reeling visibly on her feet.
    ‘I heard you.’ Kayla turned to her father. ‘All of it. And I don’t give a stuff. Go to Australia, for all I care. I’m sick of you two arguing. Can’t you see what you’re doing to each other? And you,’ she turned angrily on Jo, ‘do you think drinking that crap helps?’
    Jo slipped silently into a chair, her face ashen.
    ‘How do you think it makes me feel to hear you crying yourself to sleep?’ Kayla flicked the glass from the table. It hit the floor with a splintering crash, chipping the ceramic tiles and shooting a thousand slivers of silver across the kitchen.
    Kayla folded her arms insolently, as if daring Jo and Daniel to say anything. They didn’t. Jo sat with her head in her hands. Daniel rammed his hands in his pockets and studied his shoes. Only the dripping utility tap punctuated the sudden silence.
    ‘Kayla, sit down,’ Daniel finally said. ‘We’ll talk, okay. Just … let’s not do it this way.’
    ‘Forget it.’ Kayla turned away, retrieving her discarded backpack from the hall and heading for the front door.
    ‘Kayla!’ Jo was on her feet. ‘She’s not leaving, Dan. Not like this. Kayla, where are you going?’
    ‘Out,’ Kayla retorted over her shoulder. ‘Where does it look like?’
    Jo caught up with her in the hall. ‘Oh, no you’re not, young lady. You come back in here and –’
    Kayla whirled around. ‘Oh, yes, I am.’ She eyeballed her mother. ‘And you can’t stop me. Either of you.’ She glared at Daniel, who was close behind Jo. ‘You’re like a couple of kids. Why can’t you grow up, and talk to each other.’
    Daniel and Jo exchanged