Page 7 of Good Sisters

3. Sophie

Pippa stood in the car park of the golf club and handed Jack a bag of clothes for Robert. I had no doubt that half of them would be dirty and need washing and ironing. She’d never been mother of the year, but over the past six months Pippa had really let things slide.

She crouched down and hugged her son goodbye.

‘Be good for Daddy.’

‘He always is. He’s the best boy.’ Jack’s voice was cold.

‘I’ll see you in two weeks, Robert.’ Pippa ignored Jack.

‘Where are you going, Mummy?’

‘On a little holiday, sweetie.’

‘Again?’ Robert’s face fell.

‘Don’t make a fuss, sweetie, I’ll be back soon. Doesn’t Mummy deserve a break?’

‘Yes, Mummy.’ He looked crestfallen.

Little holiday, my arse. And holiday from what exactly? She barely seemed to be working, after being replaced by a younger presenter on her TV styling slot, and Robert spent most of his time with us. But apparently the poor thing was worn out and needed two weeks in Mallorca sitting on her backside drinking cocktails while Jack and I, once again, juggled work and having to leave early to pick up Robert from school. Adding a young child changed the whole routine of our house and it certainly wasn’t easy.

I’d thought that when Pippa and Jack had agreed to shared custody, things would smooth over. I was happy to have Robert 50 per cent of the time: he was a sweet child and Jessdoted on her little half-brother. But I had not bargained for raising my stepson almost full-time. I had a busy job and a tricky teenage daughter on my hands. Jack and I were still finding each other again after a four-year separation, and being a couple was much more difficult when there was a little boy in the next room who had regular nightmares and needed his dad’s reassurance and attention. I didn’t mind that Robert called for Jack, but we needed time and space to connect properly as well, and that had to take a back seat whenever Robert was there. It was hard for Jess too. She was getting used to her mum and dad being back together and now she had a little brother living in the house. I really wanted things to be calm at home for all of us, not unpredictable and messy.

‘We’ll have great fun, buddy,’ Jack said. ‘I’ll take you to the Aqua Park on Saturday.’

‘Yay!’ Robert cheered.

I frowned. I was running a fashion show on Saturday. I’d told Jack I needed him there to keep an eye on Jess. I didn’t like her being unsupervised at weekends. If she went to the park with the groups of teens I saw hanging about the place, she might start drinking, or vaping, or both. I wanted one of us always around to check up on her.

I’d deal with it later. I didn’t have the headspace for it today. I needed to get back inside to the lunch and listen to stories about Mum, look after Dad and avoid Louise, who was driving everyone nuts. After her major wobble during the eulogy, she was now on a mission to show everyone how together she was, so she was bossing the poor golf-club staff around like an army general on manoeuvres.

‘I’m off now,’ Pippa said. ‘By the way, can you make sure to check Robert’s hair for nits? I got a message from the school that they’re doing the rounds in his class.’ She swishedaround, her cashmere camel coat floating behind her, climbed into her car and drove off without a backward glance.

I looked down at Robert who, sure enough, was scratching his head. I sighed. Could this day get any worse?

‘I’m bored, Daddy,’ Robert said. ‘Can we go home now? Please?’

Jack glanced up at me. ‘I’m so sorry, Sophie, but it’s been a long day for him. Would you mind if I brought him home? Will you be okay without me?’

We hadn’t even got as far as dessert. I wanted Jack to stay, to be at my side for the whole lunch. I wanted my husband with me and his heartbroken daughter on this awful day. I wanted Pippa to have the decency to look after her own son on the day of my mother’s goddamn funeral. But none of that had happened. It had been a long day for the little boy, and I knew if he started acting up it would be a drag for everyone, so I said, ‘It’s fine, take him home.’

I walked them outside the restaurant and gave Robert a kiss and a hug so he knew I wasn’t angry with him.

‘Thanks, darling,’ Jack said, squeezing my hand. ‘I’ll have a bath and a large gin and tonic waiting for you when you get home. Text me when you’re on the way.’

‘That sounds great, thanks.’

Jack kissed me and headed off with Robert, hand in hand. As I turned to go back into the lunch, I saw Gavin’s girlfriend, Shania, sitting on a couch outside, cradling a cup of tea between her hands. ‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

‘Yes, fine. Just a bit tired,’ she said. ‘The baby is kicking a lot and I needed to sit down for a minute. And if I’m, like, totally honest, I’m hiding from Gavin. He is determined to introduce me to every single cousin and relation in there. You guys have a crazy amount of relations. It’s a lot.’

I sat down beside her. ‘You poor thing. Our family can beoverwhelming. Jack found it hard in the beginning too. He could never remember all our uncles’ and aunts’ names. Seven siblings on Mum’s side and eight on Dad’s. It’s definitely overwhelming.’

‘Yeah, totally. I’m from a small family, so this is very different.’

‘Are you feeling OK generally?’

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