‘Oh, wow, Lottie! That’s amazing.’ Anoushka pulled her half-sister close to her and pressed a kiss to her chubby cheek.
‘So, where’s Damon?’ asked Ollie, glancing between Anoushka and Kitty.
Anoushka swallowed, her heart suddenly thudding. ‘We’ve broken up, Dad. We’re finished.’
‘Oh, right.’ He ran his hand over his head. ‘And are you okay about it? You seem fine, by the way.’
‘I am, in fact I’ve just been telling Mum how I can’t believe how much better I feel now it’s over with him.’
‘Thank the Lord for that.’ Relief washed over Ollie’s face.
Anoushka smiled. ‘I’ll let Mum fill you in on it all, but I’m just so glad he’s out of my life.’
‘Me too,’ said Lucas through a mouthful of shortbread, spraying crumbs everywhere. ‘He was a right twa—’
‘Thank you, Lukes,’ said Kitty, silencing her son just in time. ‘We get the message, but little ears and all…’ She nodded towards Lottie who was engrossed in the treasures in her bucket.
‘Well, he was.’
‘I agree,’ said Lily. ‘I’m glad you’re not with him anymore; he took away your smiles, Noushka, and you always used to smile all the time, and laugh.’
‘I know, Lils, and I’m sorry about that. I promise to smile more often now.’ She reached for Lily’s hand, looking up at her, smiling as if to prove her point. ‘Anyway, I was wondering if you fancied a manicure? It’s been ages since we had a girly session.’ Beauty nights and manicures were something Anoushka and Lily had regularly enjoyed until Damon had taken a grip and they’d eventually petered out.
‘Really? That would be totally awesome!’ said Lily. ‘Can I try that blue, sparkly nail varnish you bought the other week?’
‘Course you can.’
‘Cool!’ Lily beamed at her, her large brown eyes so like her mum’s.
‘Me too,’ said Lottie. ‘Can I have pink sparkles? And will you put my hair in a mermalade plait like yours? I want to look like a sea princess.’
Anoushka giggled. ‘Of course, Lotts. How about I go and get “Noushka’s Beauty Parlour” set up while you two grab a drink and some shortbread? I’ll give you a shout when I’m ready.’
‘Yay!’ Lottie jumped up and down, spilling the treasures from her bucket.
Anoushka sat back a moment, her heart filling with the love she had for her blended family, the feeling of contentment and security it gave her. The look of relief her dad and her step-mum exchanged didn’t escape her.
‘So does this mean you’re going to start dating Gabe?’ asked Lucas, still chomping.
‘No, Lukes, it certainly does not! I’m not dating anyone ever again. I’m going to spend the rest of my life as an old maid, living at home forever so I can look after you lot.’
‘That right, Noushka?’ asked her dad, an amused grin on his face.
She got to her feet, shaking her head good-naturedly as more knowing looks were exchanged between her parents. ‘Yes! End of!’ she said, laughing.
‘You’re seriously gonna smash Gabe’s heart to bits, Noushka. I mean, we can all see he fancies you summat rotten.’ Lucas flashed her a cheeky grin.
‘Yeah, everyone knows he’s totes in love with you,’ said Lily. ‘And he’ssoadorable.’
‘Okay! Enough!’ Anoushka rolled her eyes, smiling. ‘You’re making him sound like a Labrador puppy,’ she said, before hot-footing it upstairs to her bedroom.
It felt good to be back in the fold of her flock again; that she’d come so close to turning her back on them didn’t bear thinking about.
As she busied herself setting out her collection of nail varnishes, her conversation with Kitty rolled into her mind. Getting everything off her chest had been an inexorable relief; Kitty seemed to know just the right things to say, no doubt because of her own experiences. Anoushka very much doubted her birth mother would have given such sage advice.
9
Kitty was the only mother-figure Anoushka had ever known, her biological mother having walked out on her when she was just two months old. She was the product of a brief but stormy romance her dad had had with Nataliya Shishkin; a half-Romany, half-Russian trapeze artist he’d met when the circus had come to Middleton-le-Moors. She’d spotted him drowning his sorrows in a pub, fresh from his split from Kitty, and, with alarming speed, had insinuated her way into his life. In a matter of weeks, Nataliya had found herself pregnant, and her feet lodged, very firmly, under the table at Rose Cottage.