already knew Andrew was in trouble with Cam for losing a sports shoe this week.
‘Our mother. We can’t find her anywhere.’
Oh, no. She’d well and truly walked into that one. These poor little guys looked and sounded distraught. Her heart squeezed painfully for them, her stomach sunk in on itself. ‘I...’ What did she say? Anything that came to mind would only hurt them more. She didn’t know the circumstances, and this so wasn’t her place. Except they were watching her, each with a plea in his eyes that would be impossible to deny.
‘We only want to see her and give her a hug.’ Andrew looked ready to burst into tears.
Jenny shoved off the swing and snatched both boys into her arms and held them tight. Not the hug they were wanting but she couldn’t not hold them. They trembled against her, clinging to her as if for dear life. ‘I know you do. I’d love to hug my sister.’
But that was different. Alison had gone. These boys’ mother had to be somewhere. How could the woman leave her sons? Unbelievable. There was nothing that would be a good enough reason.
She sensed Cam’s presence a second before his arms went around their little group, like an outer wrapping. His hand on her shoulder was warm and gave her the courage to raise her head and look directly at him.
‘Thank you,’ he mouthed. His eyes glittered as pain and anger and despair battled for supremacy in his lean face. So he’d heard what the boys had said. How often had he had to deal with this? How did he cope? Then he dropped a kiss on each boy’s head and stood up slowly, unravelling himself and then the boys from around her.
What about me? Can I have a kiss, too?
What she got was, ‘Here, I’ll give you a hand getting up.’
She’d forgotten about her ankle, but the moment Cam mentioned it she placed her hand in his and let him pull her gently upright, then leaned against him for a moment before he led her back to the deck to sit down.
‘Where’s your twin?’ one of the boys asked, as he joined them on the deck.
Her shoulders drooped. What should she say? Would the boys think their mother had died, too, if she told them the truth? But she couldn’t lie to them. That wouldn’t help anyone. Looking at Cam for guidance, she found sympathy and saw a small nod. After a sip of wine she drew a deep breath and told them as simply as possible.
‘My sister had an accident. We were mountain climbing and the track we were on gave out from under us. We fell over the cliff all the way to the bottom. Alison hit her head on a boulder.’ The glass twirled back and forth in her fingers. ‘She died there. I miss her heaps.’
Andrew clambered onto the bench to sit on her left side. Marcus did the same on her right. Cam looked astonished. Which was nothing to what she was feeling.
‘That’s sad. I’d miss Andrew if that happened to us.’ Marcus snuggled closer. ‘He’s my best friend as well as my brother.’
Sniff. ‘Yes, that’s how it is for twins.’ Another sip of the wine. ‘You know, we’re luckier than everyone else because we’re twins. No one else has a special person that close to them.’
Marcus pulled back to stare up at her. ‘Was Alison as pretty as you?’
‘You are a right little charmer, aren’t you?’ Her smile wavered. ‘Alison looked just like me.’
‘How did people know who was Alison—’
‘And who was you?’
Oh, boy, this wasn’t getting any easier. ‘Alison was always smiling. She was very funny and made everyone laugh.’ Whereas I was the serious one. Except when I was with my sister.
Cam refilled her wine glass, even though she’d barely touched it. ‘Here, enjoy that.’ He handed it over. ‘Marcus, Andrew, let’s give Jenny a break now. Dinner will be ready soon so how about you empty your schoolbags and put the lunchboxes on the bench?’
‘Thanks.’ Jenny watched them scurry to do what they’d been asked. ‘Not sure where in the kitchen they can put anything. I did
‘Our mother. We can’t find her anywhere.’
Oh, no. She’d well and truly walked into that one. These poor little guys looked and sounded distraught. Her heart squeezed painfully for them, her stomach sunk in on itself. ‘I...’ What did she say? Anything that came to mind would only hurt them more. She didn’t know the circumstances, and this so wasn’t her place. Except they were watching her, each with a plea in his eyes that would be impossible to deny.
‘We only want to see her and give her a hug.’ Andrew looked ready to burst into tears.
Jenny shoved off the swing and snatched both boys into her arms and held them tight. Not the hug they were wanting but she couldn’t not hold them. They trembled against her, clinging to her as if for dear life. ‘I know you do. I’d love to hug my sister.’
But that was different. Alison had gone. These boys’ mother had to be somewhere. How could the woman leave her sons? Unbelievable. There was nothing that would be a good enough reason.
She sensed Cam’s presence a second before his arms went around their little group, like an outer wrapping. His hand on her shoulder was warm and gave her the courage to raise her head and look directly at him.
‘Thank you,’ he mouthed. His eyes glittered as pain and anger and despair battled for supremacy in his lean face. So he’d heard what the boys had said. How often had he had to deal with this? How did he cope? Then he dropped a kiss on each boy’s head and stood up slowly, unravelling himself and then the boys from around her.
What about me? Can I have a kiss, too?
What she got was, ‘Here, I’ll give you a hand getting up.’
She’d forgotten about her ankle, but the moment Cam mentioned it she placed her hand in his and let him pull her gently upright, then leaned against him for a moment before he led her back to the deck to sit down.
‘Where’s your twin?’ one of the boys asked, as he joined them on the deck.
Her shoulders drooped. What should she say? Would the boys think their mother had died, too, if she told them the truth? But she couldn’t lie to them. That wouldn’t help anyone. Looking at Cam for guidance, she found sympathy and saw a small nod. After a sip of wine she drew a deep breath and told them as simply as possible.
‘My sister had an accident. We were mountain climbing and the track we were on gave out from under us. We fell over the cliff all the way to the bottom. Alison hit her head on a boulder.’ The glass twirled back and forth in her fingers. ‘She died there. I miss her heaps.’
Andrew clambered onto the bench to sit on her left side. Marcus did the same on her right. Cam looked astonished. Which was nothing to what she was feeling.
‘That’s sad. I’d miss Andrew if that happened to us.’ Marcus snuggled closer. ‘He’s my best friend as well as my brother.’
Sniff. ‘Yes, that’s how it is for twins.’ Another sip of the wine. ‘You know, we’re luckier than everyone else because we’re twins. No one else has a special person that close to them.’
Marcus pulled back to stare up at her. ‘Was Alison as pretty as you?’
‘You are a right little charmer, aren’t you?’ Her smile wavered. ‘Alison looked just like me.’
‘How did people know who was Alison—’
‘And who was you?’
Oh, boy, this wasn’t getting any easier. ‘Alison was always smiling. She was very funny and made everyone laugh.’ Whereas I was the serious one. Except when I was with my sister.
Cam refilled her wine glass, even though she’d barely touched it. ‘Here, enjoy that.’ He handed it over. ‘Marcus, Andrew, let’s give Jenny a break now. Dinner will be ready soon so how about you empty your schoolbags and put the lunchboxes on the bench?’
‘Thanks.’ Jenny watched them scurry to do what they’d been asked. ‘Not sure where in the kitchen they can put anything. I did
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