Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,1

was not the moment to rake up old animosity.

‘It’s been a while,’ said Ellie dryly, and Abby was immediately reminded of how her sister had emailed some time ago suggesting they meet for dinner one night. Abby tried to remember all the conferences and board meetings that had taken place since then and thought it might have been back in the autumn. That was months ago, she realized and felt a pang of guilt.

‘Ah, Abby, it’s you,’ said Susanna, appearing from the kitchen with a glass of wine in her hand.

Who else would it be? thought Abby.

‘Hi, Mum. Thanks for having us.’

Susanna waved a hand in a gesture of generosity. ‘Oh, it’s a pleasure. You know I like to spend Christmas with my daughters.’ She beamed, but her eye contact was with Ellie, Abby noticed.

More wine was poured and a shop-prepared shepherd’s pie pulled out of the oven. They ate, catching up on news. Ellie had a colleague whom she didn’t much like, a woman called Zoe, who’d recently been promoted to trainee teacher.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ asked Abby.

‘She’s all targets and plans,’ said Ellie. ‘Teaching doesn’t come parcelled up like that.’

Abby secretly thought targets sounded like a good thing, but recognized she knew very little about teaching.

‘And she’s hardly been at the school – only a year. She doesn’t understand the kids yet, not properly.’

Her sister was clearly disgruntled. Abby decided to rally. ‘You should have gone for it yourself. You’ve worked as a teaching assistant there for years, haven’t you? And aren’t you covering loads of lessons single-handedly? Must have masses of experience over this new girl. I bet if you’d applied for the job you would have wiped the floor with her.’

Silence descended. Abby looked up from her dinner, saw her mother and sister watching her. Suddenly it dawned.

‘Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know.’

‘I didn’t want to just put it in an email,’ said Ellie pointedly. ‘I never know if you read them.’

Abby felt a wash of shame. She knew Ellie was talking about the fact they were meant to have met up. Abby had never replied.

‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Work . . . there’s been a few changes,’ she stumbled, evasively. ‘It’s kept me more occupied than usual.’

‘What changes?’ asked Susanna.

‘Sorry?’

‘You said there were changes?’

She had, damn it. Why hadn’t she thought before opening her big mouth? And now they were both looking at her again.

‘I, er . . . I had a promotion.’

‘Oh right,’ said Ellie. ‘What kind of promotion?’

‘I’ve, er . . . I’ve been made a director.’ Abby knew she sounded apologetic, and it rankled. She was over the moon about her new role, had worked so hard for it.

‘Congratulations,’ said Ellie eventually.

‘Thank you.’

‘Yes, congratulations, Abby. That’s great,’ said her mother breezily. ‘Now, who’s for dessert?’

Abby knew she wasn’t a child anymore and didn’t need her mother’s approval, but it still stung.

When does that feeling of longing for parental endorsement go away? she wondered as she lay in bed that night, the first to go up as she was so exhausted. She was a fool. There she was, a successful business leader on a huge salary, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that at home she was very much second best. Worse, it still had the power to wound her deeply.

‘Merry Christmas!’ they all chorused to each other the next morning. The sleet had turned to snow overnight and the unexpected surprise of a thick blanket of white over the garden seemed to bring in a sensation of newness, of starting afresh. Susanna popped a bottle of champagne and poured them each a Buck’s Fizz.

‘Right, presents!’ declared Ellie, as she moved into the living room and pulled two gifts from under the tree. She handed one to Abby, then sat back with a huge smile on her face, impatient for her sister to open it.

Abby undid the fabric bow and peeled off the beautiful paper to find a jewellery box. Inside was a bangle made of hammered gold. It was so elegant and stylish, Abby gasped. She instantly fell in love with it, but found it hard to accept. She was worried.

‘You like it?’ asked Ellie, pleased.

‘It’s beautiful,’ said Abby.

She saw Ellie was looking at her expectantly. There was nowhere to hide. Abby retrieved her gifts from under the tree and handed one to Ellie. The smile on her sister’s face died as she removed the wrapping paper.

‘It’s a calendar,’ said Ellie.

‘An academic one,’ said Abby. ‘I thought it would be useful . .