Page 13 of The In-Laws

‘I hate this country, I hate living with Granny, I hate this prison of a school and I hate you and Dad for dragging me back here.’

‘That’s enough. Get out, go in, and bloody well get on with it.’ Amanda had had enough of her sulky son.

‘Fine. No need to rip my head off.’ He slammed the car door shut behind him.

Amanda swung the car around and drove away. She was tempted just to keep driving to get away from all the hurt and humiliation. But she was trapped. She had nowhere to go, no career, no money, no life. She could divorce Ross, but then what? Live a single life? Alone? Her parents were dead and she had no friends here. When they’d moved to London, Amanda had never bothered keeping in touch with anyone. She’d shed her life like a snake sheds its skin. She had a new life, a better life. Besides, she didn’t have any very good friends, just some close acquaintances at best. She had what she wanted and needed – Ross, Theo and her glamorous new London life, her glamorous new London self. She’d thought everything else was behind her, for good.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

5. Katie

‘Ouch, Mum, you’re pulling too hard,’ Lucy complained. ‘If you brush too hard, my hair will fall out.’

‘Lucy, I’m a hairdresser, a trained expert, and I can promise you that it won’t. You have to stop freaking out.’

Katie put the brush down and reached for her glass of Coke. She drank deeply, hoping the caffeine and sugar would help with her hangover.

‘Sore head?’ Jamie grinned.

‘Why did we open that second bottle of wine?’ Katie whispered.

‘You opened it,’ Jamie reminded her.

‘I’m regretting it now.’

‘Mum!’ Lucy poked her mother’s arm. ‘Come on, do my plaits or I’ll be late for school. I have English first class and I want to tell Miss Kerrigan that I finished my book.’

Katie had a banging headache and Lucy’s voice was like a drill. ‘Relax, it’s all fine.’ She focused on plaiting her daughter’s hair.

Jamie picked up his car keys. ‘I’d better head in or Ross will have taken over my office.’

Katie rolled her eyes. ‘What’s he like?’

‘Overbearing, arrogant, a pain in the arse.’ Jamie shook his head. ‘So, same as always really.’

‘Daddy said “arse”.’ Toby giggled.

‘Do you not like Uncle Ross?’ Lucy, who never missed a trick, asked.

‘Of course he does. They’re brothers. But sometimesyour siblings can annoy you.’ Katie tied ribbons around her daughter’s plaits.

‘Toby does annoy me at times, but you and Uncle Ross are brothers with different dads,’ Lucy pointed out.

‘Yes, but we’re still brothers,’ Jamie said. ‘I like Ross a lot. We’re just getting used to him being home and working with us, that’s all.’

‘Auntie Amanda looks sad.’ Lucy inspected her plaits in the hall mirror.

‘I guess it’s not easy moving back here and living with Granny, especially as she’s a bit grumpy because of her broken leg. Amanda just needs to find her feet,’ Katie said.

‘You’re grumpy this morning and you didn’t break your leg.’ Lucy straightened the bow on her left plait so it exactly matched the right one.

Yes, I am grumpy and you are driving me nuts.Katie’s head throbbed.

‘Amanda has never been a big smiler or giggler, though,’ Jamie noted. ‘I think she’s doing okay.’

‘No. She looked like she wanted to cry at Granny’s,’ Lucy, the family observer, said. ‘I felt bad for her.’

‘Did she?’ Jamie asked.

---