Sisters - By Patricia MacDonald Page 0,6

her slippers. ‘I know it doesn’t feel this way,’ he said, turning to her, leaning down unexpectedly and kissing her cheek. ‘But merry Christmas, Alex.’

Alex had a jumble of impressions of his soft black hair brushing her face, the sharp edge of his glasses, his masculine scent, his bristly cheek. She wondered, anxiously, if she had brushed her teeth. Before she could respond he was quietly closing the front door behind him.

After Seth left, Alex placed his Christmas offerings in the kitchen. That was so nice of him, she thought. Then she trudged upstairs and managed to find a dark green sweater in her closet, a long, narrow black skirt and black boots to wear to her uncle’s house. In her parents’ bedroom she found a star pendant on a long chain on her mother’s bureau which Alex had given her mother for Christmas several years ago. Alex looped it around her neck and the pendant sparkled against her dark sweater. She patted the star tenderly and left it on.

In her own room she combed her hair and applied make-up to alleviate the paleness of her skin, the circles under her eyes. She didn’t want to look like a Grinch. Her nephews, Aiden and Finn, would be excited about this happiest of days. She understood that. She had always loved Christmas as a child. Even if this was the worst Christmas of her life, she wasn’t going to deliberately spoil theirs. It was time to go.

The Reillys’ house was brightly lit, fragrant with the scent of roasting turkey, and buzzing with excitement. Most of the excitement was generated by Aiden and Finn, as well as the younger members of Jean’s family who were in attendance. But Alex saw the sadness in her uncle’s eyes when he embraced her.

‘I’m glad you came,’ he said.

Alex nodded. ‘We always come here for Christmas,’ she said bravely.

Brian cleared his throat. ‘And you will always be welcome here,’ he said. ‘All your life. Don’t forget that.’

‘Brian. Can you pour the eggnog?’ Jean called out.

Alex pushed him away. ‘Go on. Go. I’ll be fine.’

And, in the end, she was all right. Jean’s family members were both solicitous and full of goodwill. The kids were boisterous, the dinner was delicious – as always – and Alex made a point of helping out where she could.

It was not until evening, when the house was quieting down and most of the guests were gone, that Alex felt the melancholy descending again. She sat down in the family room in an armchair beside the tree and gazed at the glittering ornaments and lights.

Her heart felt as dark as the night sky outside. She wished she had not promised to stay over. They had wanted her to come and stay on Christmas Eve, but that was out of the question. She dreaded the whole idea of her little cousins rising at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning and demanding that she get out of bed and join in the merriment. But she had agreed to spend the night on Christmas Day and not drive home after eggnog and champagne. It had seemed a dreadful prospect, to make the long drive back in the dark to that empty house. Now she was seriously rethinking her decision and wishing she could leave.

Brian came into the room and sat down heavily on the far end of the sofa. ‘Wow, those boys are practically in orbit. Especially Finn. Too much Christmas.’

Alex smiled and kept her gaze focused on the tree, blinking back tears. ‘It was a very nice Christmas,’ she said.

‘Oh, Alex,’ he said sadly. ‘I’m sorry. I know this is so painful for you.’

She could see that he was preparing to talk about the losses of this Christmas. She felt almost panicky at the thought. She was tired of the holiday, tired of being strong, and afraid she might dissolve into tears. She wanted to avoid his kindness. ‘I wanted to talk to you about something,’ she said.

‘Anything,’ he replied.

‘I got a strange . . . Christmas present this week,’ she said.

He looked both disappointed and relieved. ‘What was that?’

Alex drew in a breath. ‘Well, I got a call from Mom and Dad’s attorney, Mr Killebrew. He had a letter which Mom left for me in the event of her death.’

Brian raised his eyebrows. ‘Really? What did it say?’

‘I wondered if you already knew about this,’ Alex said.

Brian frowned. ‘I don’t think so. About what?’

‘Mom wanted to tell me that, as it turns