Page 31 of Our Secrets and Lies

Billy switched off the TV and everyone stopped talking. The kitchen door opened, and as the teenagerswalked in, everyone jumped up and cheered.

Kelly grabbed Dylan’s arm. ‘Jesus, guys, you nearly gave me a heart attack,’ she gasped.

Dylan grinned. ‘Wow, this is great, thanks.’

Lucy went over to hug him. ‘I’m so proud of you.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’

She turned to Kelly, who was talking to Shannon and Jenny. ‘Congratulations,’ she said to her daughter.

Kelly shrugged. ‘It’s Dylan who deserves tobe congratulated. He got the scholarship. I’m just part of the package.’

‘Yes, but you’re really smart and it’s a fantastic school and a brilliant opportunity for you.’

‘So you keep saying.’ Kelly sighed. ‘I’m perfectly happy in Woodside. I don’t see why Dylan can’t go to fancy St Jude’s on his own.’

‘Can we please not have this argument again?’ Lucy said wearily. ‘It’s the best school in Dublinand tons of really successful lawyers have come out of there. You’ll be in good company. I’d appreciate it if you could try to be happy about it.’

‘Why should I when I don’t want to go?’

‘Hey, guys, let’s not argue now. Come on, it’s a celebration. Look, Kelly, I got you your favourite cake.’ Jenny pulled her niece over to look at it. She wanted to get her away from Lucy before another argumentblew up. Those two had been fighting since Kelly was born. They were too alike, strong-minded and smart. But Jenny knew that, underneath, Kelly was just a ball of teenage mush and insecurity. She was a lot less confident than Lucy had been at that age, less sure of herself.

Jenny couldn’t remember a time when Lucy wasn’t banging on about studying law. From a very young age it was all she hadever wanted to do. She was so focused and studious, it had made Jenny’s life much harder. Lucy had set the bloody bar so high, and Jenny was never going to come close. It was a good thing Jenny hadn’t wanted to do law or anything bookish because she’d always have been second best.

But Kelly was different. She hadn’t had an adoring father, like Lucy had. Kelly had no dad – she didn’t even knowhis name. Lucy had told the twins she’d had a fling with a boy in college and that he’d left the country as soon as he’d found out she was pregnant. She had been honest from the beginning but had never told them his name.

Kelly had asked Jenny recently who her dad was. She’dsaid she wanted to try to find him, but Jenny had respected her sister’s wishes and said she didn’t know his name. She’dlied to protect Kelly, too. Tom had made it obvious he wanted nothing to do with them and she couldn’t bear her niece to be hurt again.

To be fair, Lucy had been a fantastic mother, but sometimes Jenny wished her sister would go a bit easier on the twins, especially Kelly. She was a great kid and didn’t need all that pressure.

Lucy was definitely tougher on Kelly about getting top marks thanshe was with Dylan. It was as if she saw herself in her and was determined that her daughter would succeed and be the woman Lucy had always wanted to be. But Jenny could see that Kelly was struggling under the weight of expectation. It wasn’t fair to put so much on a seventeen-year-old’s shoulders. Kelly was smart, and she studied harder than any other teenager Jenny knew. Lucy had decided Kellywas going to be a successful lawyer and that was that. Jenny worried that Kelly would end up being forced into a career that she would hate, just to please her mum.

A glass tinkled. It was Billy. ‘If I could have your attention, please.’

Everyone turned to him.

‘Get down out of that, Ollie.’ Darren pulled his son off the kitchen counter, where he was trying to do a headstand.

‘I just wantto say a few words to mark this day. First of all, congratulations to Dylan for winning a sports scholarship to St Jude’s. I hope you and your sister won’t disown us when you start hanging about with the posh set up there.’

‘You’d better not.’ Shannon nudged Kelly, who rolled her eyes.

‘No, but seriously, I want to congratulate Lucy. From the day you twins were born, she’s done everything inher powerto make your lives the best they can be. She has worked harder than any other mother I know to give you the best life possible and she had to do it on her own. It’s not been easy, she’s had to dig deep, and I’m very proud of her. She has raised two fantastic young people who are a credit to her.’

‘Hear, hear,’ Sarah shouted.

‘And not only that, but soon after you were born, when yourgranny Tina got cancer, Lucy had to help nurse her and look after me and Jenny too. She’s been the rock in our family. When Tina died I fell apart, but it was Lucy who got me back on my feet. You were only toddlers so you won’t remember, but it was your mum who helped me to keep the business afloat and carry on. She’s an amazing woman and she has sacrificed so much for this family. We owe her adeep debt of gratitude.’

Lucy brushed a tear away. Dylan put his arm around her. ‘He’s right. You are brilliant,’ he whispered.

‘What about me? Remember your other daughter?’ Jenny joked to hide the hurt. It stung that Billy only remembered Lucy being brilliant and Lucy nursing Tina. It had been hell for Jenny to watch her mum die and have to sit her Leaving Cert exams while her mother lay inthe next room, pumped so full of morphine that she didn’t know if it was day or night.

Okay, Lucy had done a lot of the caring, but Jenny had looked after the twins while her sister and her dad had tended Tina. Jenny had also worked in the shop when Lucy was too busy with the kids and Billy was ferrying Tina to and from chemo appointments. Jenny was the one who had made Tina laugh during thoseawful years, always telling her silly stories to make her smile. But Billy never seemed to remember that. It was always Lucy.

Jenny knew how Kelly felt, having Dylan as the star of thefamily, the favourite child. Jenny had always come second, too. Most of the time she hadn’t cared but sometimes, like now, it stung a little.

‘I’ll get to you in a minute.’ Billy smiled.

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