Mum and I were at the very end of the driveway at the front gate where there was a particularly large bunch of wild garlic. Mum was in a straw hat and a yellow strappy dress as the temperature was already twenty degrees.
I heard the sound of the electric gates opening, and I immediately knew it was her. My skin began to prickle and the familiar fuzzy feeling in my stomach was back again. They weren’t due until late this afternoon, and I hadn’t had time to change out of the brown corduroy dungarees and grubby pink T-shirt I had put on to help Mum with the foraging.
Caitlin was sitting in the front seat, being driven by Natalie, with the twins in the back. As the trees cast a shadow over the car as it rounded the corner, I could just about make out a further figure in the back seat and as the shadows passed, I could see it was Chuck. It had been the same amount of time that I hadn’t seen him either, and a small flutter crept though my tummy that was different to the anticipation and excitement that I felt at seeing Caitlin, who gave me a wave that was so ferocious I thought she might throw her arm out of its socket. The window was wound down and Natalie slowed so they could all call their hellos. I felt myself colour at the unexpected reception, wishing again I was wearing something far more stylish.
‘See you in a minute?’ Caitlin shouted, leaning out of the window as Natalie accelerated and headed up the drive.
‘Madam’s back then. Suppose you’ll be leaving ya ma to pick this garlic on her own, won’t you?’ Mum raised her eyebrows, then turned back to a particularly bushy patch.
I looked at Mum’s back, bent down and waited for her to say something else.
‘Well, go on then – they’ll be at the main house by now.’
I skipped off up the driveway and by the time I reached the main house, I saw Dad was already there, opening the car door for Natalie. Chuck was climbing out of the back seat and straight away I noticed he had grown in height and filled out. He would be fifteen now. Practically a man.
He must have heard my trainers crunching on the pebbles as he spun around, dropped his bag to the floor and threw his arms open wide.
‘Dear, dear, Sasha, it’s been too long.’ I fell awkwardly into his embrace. He smelt of laundry detergent and something sweeter, like strawberry bonbons. The embrace didn’t last long, because I felt a pair of arms between us as Caitlin pushed in, separating us.
‘Do put her down, Chuck.’ She elbowed Chuck aside and put her hands on my shoulders and squeezed them. Then she leant in and whispered quickly and suddenly into my ear. ‘I missed you.’ She released me and stepped back. ‘Let’s go and see what goodies Judith has for us. I bet there will be an Easter hunt this week, there always is. I don’t care that I’m too old, I just love chocolate, and I don’t see why the twins should get it all, do you, Sasha?’
‘Definitely not,’ I said, feeling an anticipation building for another few weeks of adventure. ‘Are you here alone this time?’ Caitlin knew I meant without Ava.
‘Mama isn’t coming until tomorrow now. We waited and waited, and then she told us to go ahead. A lunch with an old friend she couldn’t possibly miss.’ Caitlin rattled on as though she were repeating Ava’s words verbatim. ‘Papa is here already, I think, but too busy as usual.’ I saw a flicker of something that looked like frustration flash across Caitlin’s face.
She looked at me. ‘You look like you’re in The Brady Bunch.’ She leant forward and tugged on one of the plaits Mum had done in my hair this morning. I had forgotten about them. I was going to take them out before they arrived so my hair would have a kinky wave. I felt my face flush as I realised Chuck would have seen them too.
Caitlin let out a wild laugh and turned and ran into the house. She didn’t say to follow and after the New Year’s Eve incident when I went to follow and she told me to go home, I didn’t allow myself to run directly in her shadow.
Caitlin reached the top step of the back door and turned around.
‘Well, are you going to stand there all day?’
I broke into a run and joined her at the top of the steps where Pippy and Purdy were dancing their usual greeting ritual, spinning around, their tails wagging.
Dad was in the hallway, having kindly carried in some cases for Natalie. For a moment, I felt as though we were all in the same family and had just arrived at Saxby. I tried to imagine what it would actually feel like if my family were waited on for weeks and allowed
