Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,48

the cusp of a big announcement. ‘In fact, we’re going to have two holidays.’

Ellie finally stopped crying, looked up at her mother in intrigue. Abby narrowed her eyes.

‘After Euro Disney, we’re going to a resort in Greece for ten whole days!’ said Susanna. ‘Where there’s a swimming pool with a slide and a spa for Mummy.’

Abby saw the hidden relief on her mother’s face and knew that this new plan, this place in Greece, was somewhere her mother liked very much.

‘What’s a spa?’ Ellie asked.

‘It’s a place where I can get a massage and possibly some beauty treatments while you two girls have loads of fun in the kids’ club,’ said Susanna. ‘Where they’ll have ice cream,’ she added, tapping Ellie on the nose.

Abby knew when she was being sold an idea and slipped out of the room. She went upstairs and lay on her bed where she mourned the loss of a trip she had yearned for with all of her heart. And her mother knew it too. Abby understood that Susanna had taken Disney away from her for something Susanna wanted more. Abby’s sense of self-worth plummeted that night. She understood fully where she stood in the pecking order of her family.

‘Can I go to the slide pool now?’ asked Abby, as she stood dripping in front of her mother, who was lying on a sunbed in her bikini. Abby had been in this shallow dipping pool for what felt like hours at her mother’s behest, so she could ‘stay with Ellie’. Ellie was nervous of the slide pool, but that was mostly because their mum kept saying things like ‘I’m not sure if it’s right for you, Ellie,’ and ‘It’s very high, I wouldn’t like you getting dizzy,’ and so they’d stayed here forever, Ellie splashing about in the shallows, while their mum dozed.

Just a little way along from them was a lady Mum had met the day before. The lady, Miriam, was on holiday with her husband. They didn’t have children and so Miriam spent a lot of time in the spa, and she would come back talking of massages and treatments and hold out her fingernails for Susanna to admire. When she’d heard why they were there she’d given Ellie what Abby secretly called the Super Sorry look – when adults made their eyes go all gooey and thrust out their bottom lip in sympathy. ‘Poor little thing,’ she’d said, and she’d told other people as well because later, in the restaurant, Abby had overheard someone say, ‘That’s the sick girl,’ and she’d looked up to see Miriam nudge another woman and they were both looking in their direction.

‘Not now,’ said Susanna, stretching out lazily. ‘Honestly, this is such a beautiful pool here, why do you want to go running off? Ellie’s happy here, play with her.’

Abby watched as her mother closed her eyes again and knew it was pointless arguing. She went to sit at the edge of the pool, her legs dangling in the water, and wriggled her toes, watching as the refraction made her feet seem bigger.

From a distance she could hear the exhilarated screams of other children flying down the blue slide into the pool. She’d seen it every time they’d walked through the resort, her eyes on stalks. It was the best pool she could ever have imagined; the slide went through a tunnel and a loop until it finally deposited you into a deep lagoon.

A sound from behind caught her attention. A little snore. Abby turned and looked at her mother. Her eyes were closed, her sun hat pulled down over her forehead. Her mouth was ever so slightly open as she breathed deeply and Abby knew she’d fallen asleep. She looked across at Ellie, who was standing in the shallows, her neon orange armbands on, scooping a bucket into the pool then pouring it out again.

Abby went over to her sister and took her hand. ‘Shall we go and see the other pool?’

Ellie looked at her in doubt. ‘You mean the slide one?’

‘Yes. It’ll be fun, just me and you,’ said Abby. ‘We can play mermaids.’

Ellie’s eyes lit up. Abby knew she’d been aching for them to play together.

‘Really?’

‘Course. Come on.’ Abby led Ellie down the palm-lined pathways through the resort to the bigger pool. This was where most of the other children were and Abby looked up in wonder as she saw a young boy come hurtling down the slide, his mouth open in fear and excitement.

‘I’m