an hour.
Tom said nothing, merely popped open the boot of the car and put her
bags in it. Feeling sheepish, Stevie let herself into the passenger seat and sank into
the leather. Tom slid back into his seat and pulled out. He hadn't said a word to her.
Clearly, he was annoyed. She hoped he wasn't going to sulk all the way to
Oxford.
Stevie's eyes still felt raw. She rubbed her hand on her cheek, trying to get
rid of the starchy feel left by the tears. The movement brought with it a fresh wave
of loneliness and her eyes filled up once more. She blinked them back and
inadvertently sniffed.
Tom threw a glance at her and then focused back on the road. Stevie
pretended to stare out of the window and quickly wiped away a tear that had
leaked out of the corner of her eye. The silence in the car seemed to get heavier and
heavier.
Finally Tom said, "Are you okay?" Rather than sounding annoyed, he
actually sounded concerned.
"Fine," said Stevie, her voice quavering.
"Sure?"
She turned to look at him. He raised his eyebrows.
Stevie sighed. "Just had a small argument with my brother, that's all." She
wiped her eyes. "I'll be okay in a minute."
Tom nodded. "Do you argue a lot?" he said after a moment. "With
Marshall, I mean?"
Stevie shrugged. "I guess."
Tom nodded again. "My brother and I never really got on either." He
paused to manoeuvre round a roundabout and get them onto the motorway.
"That's one of the advantages of growing up. We moved out of home and don't have
to see each other anymore."
How strange, that the very thing Tom thought was an advantage was
making her feel like she'd lost everything. She didn't say anything aloud, but a little
snort escaped her. She resumed staring out of the window.
"Marshall really upset you, huh?" said Tom. "I guess he has got a temper
on him."
"No he hasn't." She was allowed to complain about her brother, but that
didn't mean other people could. "He's just very protective of..." she was about to
say "his family", but realised she wasn't sure who that meant anymore. Did it still
include her? Right now she didn't feel very protected by Marsh. "...of some people,"
she finished. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay. Just trying to help," said Tom.
Now she'd offended Tom as well. Stevie sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't
snap at you. It's just that Marsh and I manage to wind each other up so well. Years
of practise."
Tom nodded. "I know that feeling. Dan and I were similar."
"Do you still argue?"
"Not really. I only see him on Mum's or Alice's birthday. He's always away
on expeditions and conferences and things. That's why poor Alice has to spend her
holidays with her grandmother."
Stevie filed this piece of information away to think about later. "Alice
seems happy enough to stay with Evelyn."
"She doesn't have much choice. She's been dumped on Mum and Dad
often enough though, so they're all used to it. It was okay when she was little, doing
up a house can be lots of fun when you're seven or eight years old, but now she's a
teenager, she's probably missing her friends and dying of boredom."
Which might explain why he'd bought Alice an iPhone? "You're fond of
her, aren't you?"
For the first time that day, Tom smiled. "She's a great kid. We used to
have lots of fun when she was little. It's harder now that she's older and trying to be
cool, but I think we still get on quite well."
Stevie looked at him in surprise. His voice was warm and full of affection.
She had never heard that before.
"What's it like?" she said, slowly. "Having a niece?"
"Great fun. You get to play with them and they think you're wonderful.
Then you can hand them back when they get tired and cranky. Best of both
worlds."
Stevie wondered if she should be feeling some sort of bond with this
unborn child of Marsh and Jane's. She felt nothing towards it at the moment, merely
resentment towards its parents. Perhaps there was something wrong with her.
Perhaps there was a vital Aunty gene she was
Tom said nothing, merely popped open the boot of the car and put her
bags in it. Feeling sheepish, Stevie let herself into the passenger seat and sank into
the leather. Tom slid back into his seat and pulled out. He hadn't said a word to her.
Clearly, he was annoyed. She hoped he wasn't going to sulk all the way to
Oxford.
Stevie's eyes still felt raw. She rubbed her hand on her cheek, trying to get
rid of the starchy feel left by the tears. The movement brought with it a fresh wave
of loneliness and her eyes filled up once more. She blinked them back and
inadvertently sniffed.
Tom threw a glance at her and then focused back on the road. Stevie
pretended to stare out of the window and quickly wiped away a tear that had
leaked out of the corner of her eye. The silence in the car seemed to get heavier and
heavier.
Finally Tom said, "Are you okay?" Rather than sounding annoyed, he
actually sounded concerned.
"Fine," said Stevie, her voice quavering.
"Sure?"
She turned to look at him. He raised his eyebrows.
Stevie sighed. "Just had a small argument with my brother, that's all." She
wiped her eyes. "I'll be okay in a minute."
Tom nodded. "Do you argue a lot?" he said after a moment. "With
Marshall, I mean?"
Stevie shrugged. "I guess."
Tom nodded again. "My brother and I never really got on either." He
paused to manoeuvre round a roundabout and get them onto the motorway.
"That's one of the advantages of growing up. We moved out of home and don't have
to see each other anymore."
How strange, that the very thing Tom thought was an advantage was
making her feel like she'd lost everything. She didn't say anything aloud, but a little
snort escaped her. She resumed staring out of the window.
"Marshall really upset you, huh?" said Tom. "I guess he has got a temper
on him."
"No he hasn't." She was allowed to complain about her brother, but that
didn't mean other people could. "He's just very protective of..." she was about to
say "his family", but realised she wasn't sure who that meant anymore. Did it still
include her? Right now she didn't feel very protected by Marsh. "...of some people,"
she finished. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay. Just trying to help," said Tom.
Now she'd offended Tom as well. Stevie sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't
snap at you. It's just that Marsh and I manage to wind each other up so well. Years
of practise."
Tom nodded. "I know that feeling. Dan and I were similar."
"Do you still argue?"
"Not really. I only see him on Mum's or Alice's birthday. He's always away
on expeditions and conferences and things. That's why poor Alice has to spend her
holidays with her grandmother."
Stevie filed this piece of information away to think about later. "Alice
seems happy enough to stay with Evelyn."
"She doesn't have much choice. She's been dumped on Mum and Dad
often enough though, so they're all used to it. It was okay when she was little, doing
up a house can be lots of fun when you're seven or eight years old, but now she's a
teenager, she's probably missing her friends and dying of boredom."
Which might explain why he'd bought Alice an iPhone? "You're fond of
her, aren't you?"
For the first time that day, Tom smiled. "She's a great kid. We used to
have lots of fun when she was little. It's harder now that she's older and trying to be
cool, but I think we still get on quite well."
Stevie looked at him in surprise. His voice was warm and full of affection.
She had never heard that before.
"What's it like?" she said, slowly. "Having a niece?"
"Great fun. You get to play with them and they think you're wonderful.
Then you can hand them back when they get tired and cranky. Best of both
worlds."
Stevie wondered if she should be feeling some sort of bond with this
unborn child of Marsh and Jane's. She felt nothing towards it at the moment, merely
resentment towards its parents. Perhaps there was something wrong with her.
Perhaps there was a vital Aunty gene she was
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