The Other Family

was a bit weird and there was a teapot on the table and a jug of sad purple flowers. They both glanced up when she came in, and she was conscious of being breathless and interestingly redolent of drama. She flung her bag on the floor and her sunglasses on the table.

‘We were just,’ Chrissie said, trying to avoid a reaction to Dil y’s entrance, ‘looking at pictures of a flat I saw.’

Dil y glanced at the camera. The room it showed could have been anywhere, white and empty with a dark carpet. She said, in a rush, ‘You won’t believe—’

‘What?’

Dil y plunged her hand into her pocket and pul ed out her phone, thrusting it at her mother. Chrissie peered at it.

‘What does this mean?’

‘You look!’ Dil y shouted at Amy.

Amy bent over the phone.

‘Oh my God—’

‘ What?’ Chrissie said.

‘Oh my God,’ Amy said, ‘the shit, the shit, how could he?’ She launched herself at Dil y, wrapping her arms round her shoulders. Dil y closed her eyes.

‘Please,’ Chrissie said, ‘ what is happening?’

‘He’s dumped me!’ Dil y cried.

‘He’s—’

‘Craig has dumped Dil y!’ Amy said. ‘He hasn’t the nerve to do it to her face so he’s sent her this pathetic text!’

Chrissie stood up. She moved to put her arms round Dil y too.

‘Oh, darling—’

The front door slammed, and Tamsin appeared in the doorway.

‘Don’t you want to kil him?’ Amy demanded.

‘He’s not worth it.’

‘No, Dil , he’s not worth it, he’s not worth crying over, not for a second—’

‘I’m not crying,’ Dil y said.

Chrissie stepped back.

‘Nor you are—’

‘I want to,’ Dil y said, ‘I’m waiting to. But I’m not.’ She glanced at Tamsin. ‘Maybe it’s having such a fantastically supportive sister.’

Tamsin put her handbag down on the table. It was a habit that had driven Richie wild – ‘Put the bloody thing on the floor, where it belongs!’ – but Tamsin had always insisted that her bag sat on the table or hung on a chair.

She said, with the air of being the one person, yet again, in ful possession of themselves, ‘I am entirely supportive, Dil y, in fact I think you are wel rid of him. It’s just that, in the present circumstances, it’s more useful to focus on the positive and I had, actual y, some positive news today because my job is safe. Mr Mundy has confirmed that I’m staying.’

‘Oh good,’ Chrissie said faintly.

Amy said nothing. She let go of Dil y, just retaining her nearest hand.

Chrissie said, with slightly more energy, ‘Wel done, darling.’

Tamsin inclined her head.

Dil y glanced at Amy. She said, ‘Nothing to worry about any more, then.’

Amy gave her the smal est of winks.

Chrissie picked up the camera. She held it out. She said, half-laughing, ‘What a day!’

They al three regarded her in silence.

‘First, I may have found a flat!’

Silence.

‘Two, Tamsin has her job confirmed!’

Silence.

‘Three,’ Chrissie said, subduing her artificial y affirmative tone, ‘Dil y is freed from someone who in no way deserves her—’

The silence was more awkward this time. Chrissie glanced quickly at Amy.

‘And four—’ She paused, and then she said to Amy, ‘You tel them.’

Amy cleared her throat. She let go of Dil y’s hand. She said, ‘I’m going up to Newcastle for a few days,’ and