Melissa said.
She watched Maddy pad inside and frowned. Just like the kids, she seemed so dismissive of Patrick, despite him lying in hospital in a coma. What had he done to make them all act like this? It was like the worst kind of puzzle to solve, and it was exhausting her!
She lay back on the picnic blanket as Grace continued reading Maddy’s magazine beside her. She realised she hadn’t really felt the sun on her face the past few days, and she had to admit it felt good. Before Melissa knew it, she was asleep, that same dream she always had shimmering into her mind: the sound of a branch cracking. A rope. A ballet shoe abandoned on the ground.
She woke with a start as she felt ice-cold pressure on her arms.
‘Lilly!’ she said as she noticed her older daughter sliding an ice cube down her arms.
‘It was the only way I could wake you up!’ Lilly declared. Behind her, Daphne smiled as she laid food out on the garden table with Lewis and Grace’s help.
Melissa grabbed Lilly’s arms, pulling her down as she giggled. It was good to see her smiling again.
‘Is your tummy okay?’ she asked, as their mock fight turned into a hug.
‘Yeah, a little bit better.’
‘Right, grub’s up,’ Daphne said. ‘Alexa, play the Daphne Chill playlist,’ she commanded the device sitting a few feet away in her kitchen.
The kids rolled their eyes as they sat at the table. They hated all their parents’ ‘cheesy playlists’, as they called them. But as the music started, the kids ended up singing along to the tunes.
‘This is lush,’ Lilly said, leaning back in her chair as she ate, blinking up at the sun.
‘I know,’ Maddy said, doing the same. The two girls looked so different: Lilly with her long caramel hair and white and silver shorts, then Maddy with her bright pink hair and ripped black shorts. But somehow, they worked together.
‘Ergh, I can’t believe I’m back to school soon,’ Maddy said. ‘Why does our school have to make Easter half term so early? The kids in Ashbridge have another week.’
‘Yes, but they only broke up last week,’ Daphne said. ‘You all still get the two weeks off.’
‘I thought you liked school?’ Melissa asked her.
‘Only when Mr Quinn’s doing Citizenship,’ Lilly said, wiggling her eyebrows at Maddy. Lewis frowned, focusing on shovelling quiche into his mouth. He clearly still had feelings for Maddy. Actually, now Melissa thought about it, Maddy had split up with him early in the New Year. Was it a coincidence it was only a few days after that New Year’s Eve party?
‘Oh, shut up,’ Maddy said, throwing a napkin at her friend as Grace laughed. ‘It’s the subject I like, not Quinny.’
Her eyes glanced over at Lewis then quickly away again. Lilly looked at them both then smiled.
‘I’ve always had this theory that Mads will end up falling for a Tory boy,’ she said. ‘I mean, Mum was a bit of a leftie, weren’t you, right, Mum? Then you met Dad?’
Melissa laughed. ‘I didn’t give a damn about politics back then, darling. And I don’t think your dad did either, really. We were just kids.’
‘Well, I’m totally up for marrying a politician,’ Lilly said, twirling her long hair between her fingers. ‘Even a Tory. Imagine all those magazine covers?’
‘Oh my God, seriously?’ Maddy said, shaking her head but smiling all the same.
‘Yeah, I reckon Jeremy Leadsom would make an awesome husband,’ Lilly replied, referring to the brightest boy in their year.
Lewis rolled his eyes as Grace quirked her lips into a small smile.
‘Jeremy and Lilly, sitting in a tree,’ Maddy started, before collapsing into a fit of giggles.
Melissa watched Lilly as she giggled with her friend. She was a complete contrast to the way she’d been an hour ago, full of light and fun. But Lilly was good at that, switching from darkness to light at the click of a finger, pretending everything was okay.
‘Do you know what?’ Lilly said. ‘I think I’d like to go back to school tomorrow, actually.’
Melissa looked at her in surprise. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah,’ Lilly said, popping an olive in her mouth. ‘Beats moping around at Nan and Grandad’s.’
‘I hate it when you do that, Lil,’ Lewis said.
Lilly stared at him. ‘Do what?’
‘Pretend like nothing’s wrong.’
Maddy looked down at her plate as Grace sighed, used to the twins’ arguments.
‘Come on, you two,’ Melissa said. ‘No arguing at the dinner table.’
‘Jeez, what’s wrong with you, Lewis?’ Lilly said, ignoring her mother as