Rival Sisters

by Louise Guy

  Laughter erupted from the garden as Amy, Skye and Damien played with Bear, the chocolate Labrador Amy had chosen. Even though she had already shown interest in Bear when she’d looked at the dogs online a few weeks ago, she’d still surprised both Hannah and Damien when she bypassed a cage with three puppies and chosen the four-year-old dog. Hannah had been sure Amy would want a puppy. She’d been dismayed when she’d seen the enclosure housing the three ten-week-old pups. She’d assumed that all the rescue dogs would be older, and they wouldn’t have to train a puppy. In saying that, they were so cute that the biggest issue would have been choosing one. They probably would have come home with all three.

  But Amy had made a beeline for Bear, amazed that he was still available. She’d mentioned him over the birthday breakfast but had assumed he would have been adopted by now. The Lab, however, had sat patiently at the door of his cage, his tail wagging, his eyes locked on Amy. It was as if he knew that she’d come to rescue him. The moment the RSPCA worker opened the door, Amy had flung her arms around him, and he’d leaned into her, licking her face. When she’d let go of him, he’d rolled straight on to his back with his legs in the air wanting his belly rubbed. There had been no question as to which dog they were adopting.

  Hannah smiled as she watched Amy throw a ball towards the back fence and Bear rush to get it, return to Amy and drop it at her feet. He was already well trained as he’d belonged to an elderly man who’d had Labradors all his life. He’d raised him from a pup and taught him to be incredibly obedient. But according to the manager at the shelter, he was a man without any family and when he’d surrendered Bear the previous month it was because he’d had a stroke and been moved into a care facility.

  Tears had welled in Hannah’s eyes when she’d heard this story. She thought of Phyllie and imagined her without any family. It was so sad to think of getting to the end of your life and having no one at all. She’d asked the manager if it was possible to get a message to the man to let him know that Bear had gone to a loving home, but the manager shook her head. Bear’s owner had died the previous week.

  Hannah glanced at her watch. It was nearly three. Her parents, Nat and Phyllie would be here any minute.

  Hannah’s eyes travelled over to her sister as they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and Amy blew out the twelve candles on the mud cake they’d picked up from Sweet Treats on their way back from the shelter.

  Damien stepped forward to cut the cake after Amy finished blowing out the candles, smiling as Phyllie checked she’d made her wish. Hannah was smiling too, but she couldn’t help but focus on Nat. Her sister had hardly said a word since she’d arrived. She’d also forgotten to bring Amy a present, which was so unlike her.

  When the formalities of the cake-cutting were over, Amy and Skye went back outside to play with Bear. Hannah had agreed that the dog could come inside, even though initially she’d said he was to be an outdoor dog. But even she couldn’t imagine being relegated to the yard with the temperature falling to low single digits overnight. They’d bought Bear a bed, which had been set up in the laundry, although Hannah had a sneaking suspicion that Amy would get her way and Bear would sleep with her.

  She’d insisted her dad, Sue and Phyllie move through to the lounge room, and Damien was refilling their champagne flutes as Hannah stacked the dishwasher with the plates from the cake. Nat excused herself to use the bathroom, but Hannah noticed that rather than join her parents and Phyllie on her return, she’d slipped out into the garden and was sitting huddled on the small bench under the rose arbour watching Amy, Skye and Bear.

  Hannah wiped her hands on a towel and decided it was time to get to the bottom of Nat’s strange mood. She poured two glasses of Pinot Noir, knowing Nat would prefer the light red over champagne, and carried them through the French doors to the patio area where her sister sat.

  Surprise registered in Nat’s eyes as Hannah passed her a glass. ‘Thanks.’

  Hannah sat down next to her, a smile playing on her lips as Bear ran after Amy as she tore across the garden. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her playing in the backyard. She was usually holed up in her room, reading or on her iPad.

  ‘You were right about a dog being good for Amy.’ Hannah laughed as Nat’s mouth dropped open. ‘What?’

  ‘I just can’t remember you ever suggesting I was right about something, that’s all. You’re usually very good at telling me what I’ve done or said that’s not right.’

  Hannah chose to ignore the bitterness in Nat’s voice. She was going to do her best to rise above the little digs today and find out what was going on with her.

  ‘You okay?’

  Nat broke eye contact and sipped her wine.

  Her evasive stance immediately had Hannah on alert. ‘What are you keeping from me?’

  ‘What? Why do you automatically think I’m keeping something from you?’

  ‘Because you’re a terrible liar and I know your body language. It’s Phyllie, isn’t it?’

  Nat shook her head. ‘What the hell are you talking about? I’m tired from working long hours and you interpret it as something’s wrong with Phyllie?’

  Hannah folded her arms across her chest. ‘So Phyllie seems okay? She can manage everything?’

  Hardness replaced the surprise Nat had previously shown. ‘What are you getting at? You’re not still trying to put her in a home, are you?’

  Hannah stared at her sister. They’d had this discussion when she moved in with Phyllie. It wasn’t about putting her in a home, it was about working out whether she could cope alone if Nat were to move out. Why was she being so obtuse? ‘No, I’m not trying to put her in a care home. I’m just checking that you think she’s still fine to live at home, that’s all. You’re there every day, you’d know if she wasn’t coping or needed extra help. There are all sorts of services she’s entitled to. Meals on wheels, gardening help, even cleaning. She won’t let on to me, and with the way you’re acting I can only assume she does need help but has made you promise not to say anything.’

  ‘She hasn’t asked me to promise anything, but she is still convinced you’re going to do everything you can to run her out of her house.’

  Hannah sucked in a breath. ‘She still thinks I’d do that?’

  ‘More or less. She wants you to mind your own business, which I’d appreciate too. If I’m not feeling sociable I don’t need the third degree from you.’

  Hannah took a deep breath and moved her gaze to watch Amy and Skye, who were doing their best to train Bear to shake hands. Why was Nat always so prickly? She’d only asked her if she was okay because it was very obvious she wasn’t, and then it had to be turned into another argument. She didn’t know why she even bothered sometimes. She was surprised, though, that Phyllie thought she was still trying to remove her from her home.

  ‘Amy, you can’t give him too many treats,’ she called, realising the process Amy was following seemed to involve a lot of laughter and, from the looks of it, a lot of dog treats. ‘The book said only ten percent of his daily calories, remember.’

  ‘They’re not treats,’ Amy called back. ‘Dad said to just use his normal dry food as a reward.’ Bear was sitting gazing lovingly at Amy. ‘He loves it, by the way.’

  ‘He loves her too,’ Nat said. ‘I’m glad you lost that bet.’

  ‘About that,’ Hannah said. ‘I don’t want her to know about the bet. She’s so happy about having Bear. I think from her perspective it’s the best present we’ve ever given her, so I’d prefer her to think it was our idea.’

  Nat stood. ‘Even though you said absolutely no way, you’re going to let her believe you’ve given him to her out of the goodness of your heart?’ She shook her head. ‘You’ve always been a piece of work.’

  ‘Me? Jesus, listen to yourself. I don’t know why you even came today. We would have preferred it if you and your bad mood had stayed away.’

  ‘Next time don’t invite me then. Having to spend part of my weekend around you
is hardly something to look forward to.’

  Hannah’s mouth dropped open as Nat turned on her heel and walked back inside the house.

  When she came back inside, Hannah found Phyllie boiling the kettle. ‘Let me do that for you. You go and sit down, and I’ll bring it through to you.’

  ‘I’m perfectly capable, Hannah. There’s no need to treat me like an invalid.’

  Hannah frowned. Nat appeared to be right, Phyllie was still angry with her. She was sure they’d cleared the air when she’d given her the money for Zane Fox. ‘I was treating you like a guest, not an invalid. But if you insist, I’ll have one too thanks.’ She placed her empty wine glass on the countertop and sat down on one of the stools, doing her best to hide a smile as Phyllie, looking somewhat taken aback, placed a second cup next to hers.

  ‘The others are still drinking champagne. It’s too cold for champagne. I’d much prefer something warmer.’

  ‘There’s a nice Pinot Noir if you’d prefer,’ Hannah said.

  Phyllie shook her head. ‘No, I’d better keep what little of my wits I have about me. I’ll stick to tea.’

  ‘Phyllie’ – Hannah lowered her voice – ‘I thought we’d agreed when you gave me the money that I wouldn’t push the assisted living idea anymore.’

  Phyllie’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘It’s my understanding that you think I’d be better off locked away. It’s what you keep saying. And what money?’

  It was now Hannah’s turn to be surprised. They’d had this conversation, and it appeared Phyllie didn’t remember about the money. She swallowed. If this was the case, she did need to be worried.

  ‘Do you remember me visiting you when Amy went to her friend’s party? We discussed a problem I was having. You helped me out?’

  Phyllie’s eyes clouded over for a moment and then cleared. She looked around and lowered her voice. ‘Of course I remember, I just didn’t think you wanted it to be talked about.’

  Hannah wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not. ‘Then why are you acting like I’m still trying to ship you off to a home? We agreed that I’d back off.’

  Phyllie poured hot water into the cups and grinned. ‘Just teasing you of course.’

  ‘Nat seems to think I’m still on your case about it too. She’s quite snarky today.’

  Phyllie laughed. ‘Yes, I think she got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I’ll set her straight that you and I have struck a deal and you plan to leave me alone.’

  ‘The arrangement’s going well then? With Nat?’

  Phyllie frowned. ‘It is.’

  ‘But?’

  She looked up. ‘But what?’

  ‘You had a look of concern on your face, that’s all. Like everything wasn’t okay.’

  Phyllie passed a teacup across to Hannah, came around the island bench and sat on a stool next to her granddaughter. ‘I’m a little concerned about this new job of hers, if I’m honest.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘She’s working very long hours. In fact, since she’s been living with me, she’s hardly been out. She’s been here and to your parents, but other than doing some grocery shopping and running a few errands I don’t think she’s seen any of her friends or done anything. Does that seem strange to you?’

  Hannah had no idea how social Nat was before moving in with Phyllie, but yes, it sounded odd. ‘Perhaps she wants to make a good impression with the company she’s working for.’

  ‘Mm,’ Phyllie nodded. ‘Possibly. It is a little unusual though. Even in this day and age of computers and virtual meetings, I would have thought she’d need to go and meet with the company more. Being holed up in her room all day and night isn’t healthy. I’m also not convinced she’s earning much from it.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  Phyllie looked away, suddenly evasive. ‘I’ve said too much already. I should leave Nat to talk to you, if she decides she wants to.’

  ‘Nat’s hardly one to stick with a job if it doesn’t suit her. I’m sure she’ll find something else if she gets sick of this new one.’

  ‘I’m not so sure.’

  Hannah raised an eyebrow. ‘What makes you say that?’

  Once again Phyllie avoided her gaze. She picked up her teacup and nudged Hannah. ‘Come on. Your parents are probably wondering where you’ve got to. With the mood Nat’s in I can’t imagine her entertaining skills are at their best.’

  Hannah got to her feet. ‘Any idea what the mood’s about?’

  Phyllie shook her head. ‘No, but I’m sure we’ll find out when she’s ready to talk.’

  Her father smiled as Hannah and Phyllie entered the living room. ‘Can you believe she’s twelve already? It’s crazy. I remember when you turned twelve, it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago.’

  ‘She’s a lovely girl,’ Sue said. ‘You should both be very proud.’

  Damien smiled. ‘She makes it pretty easy. She tries hard at everything she does, and everyone seems to like her at school. Hopefully the transition to high school next year won’t be too hard.’

  Hannah noticed Nat had refilled her wine glass and it was practically overflowing. She turned to her father. ‘Did you bring Nat and Phyllie today?’

  ‘No, why?’

  ‘You might want to slow down, Nat,’ Hannah said. ‘You’ll be driving Phyllie home soon.’

  Nat’s eyes narrowed. ‘Trying to get rid of us already?’

  ‘Of course not! But today was for afternoon tea, not dinner. Amy’s got Skye staying, and we’ll be ordering pizza for them later. I wasn’t planning to cook a meal, but I’m happy to order pizza for everyone if you want to stay.’

  Amy and Skye entered the room with Bear bounding after them before Nat had a chance to answer.

  ‘Is it okay if we take Bear upstairs with us? I want to show him my room.’

  ‘He’s sleeping in the laundry, Ames,’ Damien reminded her.

  Amy rolled her eyes. ‘I know that. But if he’s clever enough to open the door, then he’ll need to know where to find me so I can return him to the laundry, won’t he?’

  Hannah’s father laughed. ‘You can’t argue with that logic, can you.’

  ‘Of course you can take him upstairs,’ Hannah said. ‘We might as well get used to Bear being part of the family. Considering he’s only been here a day he’s fitting in already.’

  Bear barked, causing further laughter around the room.

  ‘He knows you’re talking about him.’ Skye rubbed the dog’s ears. ‘You’re so lucky, Amy. There’s no way my mum would let me have a dog. She goes on about what a commitment they would be and how we could never go away if we had one.’

  ‘My mum’s the best.’ Amy shot Hannah a smile so full of love that she had to blink to stop the tears.

  Nat snorted. ‘Now that’s a joke.’ She took another large swig of her drink.

  Amy’s face fell. She looked at her aunt. ‘What do you mean? This is the best birthday I’ve ever had, and it’s because of Bear.’

  ‘Let’s just say your mum should never gamble and leave it at that.’

  Amy looked to Hannah for help.

  ‘Nat.’ Sue’s voice was sharp. ‘That’s enough.’

  ‘Yes,’ her father added. ‘No need to spoil a lovely afternoon.’

  Hannah was grateful for their support but couldn’t believe Nat had said anything, especially after she’d specifically asked her not to. She stood. ‘Why don’t you girls take Bear upstairs and get settled with the movies you want to watch. I’ll come up soon, and we’ll work out what toppings you’d like on the pizzas before I order them.’

  ‘Okay.’ Amy was still staring at Nat.

  ‘I’m glad it’s the best birthday you’ve ever had, sweetie.’ Hannah lowered her voice and smiled conspiratorially at Amy. ‘Ignore Aunty Nat, she’s in a bad mood, that’s all.’

  Amy nodded, and with Bear at her heels she and Skye left the room whispering together.

  ‘What?’ Nat shrugged when Han
nah turned and glared at her. ‘I didn’t say anything.’

  ‘You said more than you needed to. Why spoil her day? Just because you’re in a foul mood doesn’t mean you need to bring a twelve-year-old down on their birthday. Did it make you feel better?’

  Nat stood and looked at Phyllie. ‘I think it’s time we left.’

  Damien stood at the same time. ‘I’ll drop you home.’

  ‘What? I’m perfectly capable of driving. I’ve only had a couple of glasses.’

  ‘No arguments, Nat. You’ve had more than a couple, and you have precious cargo on board.’ He nodded towards Phyllie.

  ‘We can drop them,’ Sue said. ‘It’s not out of our way.’

  David cleared his throat. ‘It is actually. I’ve booked us some Gold Class tickets at the cinema at Doncaster for eight.’ He blushed. ‘I was going to surprise you with dinner and a movie tonight once we left here.’

  ‘That’s so nice, Dad,’ Hannah said. She loved that her father had a romantic side and constantly surprised Sue with little gifts and outings.

  Sue smiled and slipped her hand into her husband’s. ‘Your father is the most wonderful man on the planet. No offence, Damien.’

  Damien laughed. ‘None taken. If anything, I should follow his lead.’ He smiled at Hannah. ‘I promise to do better. But for now, I’ll drive Phyllie and Nat home in Nat’s car and get an Uber back.’ He looked over to Nat. ‘That way you don’t have to come back tomorrow to collect it.’

  Nat snorted. ‘I can’t imagine I’d be welcome.’

  Hannah stared at her sister. Surely her nastiness wasn’t just because of the dog? She glanced at Phyllie, who looked as bewildered as she did.

  ‘Come on.’ Damien hooked his arm through Phyllie’s. ‘I’ll escort you out.’

  ‘I’d like to say goodbye and happy birthday to Amy,’ she said as they neared the front door. ‘But’ – she turned to Nat – ‘I suggest you go and wait in the car while I do that.’

  Nat opened her mouth to object but then seemed to think better of it. She swung open the front door and made her way down the drive towards her car.