LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER THREE

      Mum was surprised to see me back so soon.

      “I thought you were out there training for Wimbledon?”

      It was her idea of a joke. Danielle training for Wimbledon, ha ha! Mum always treats my ambitions as a joke, it doesn’t matter what they are. She thinks my present ambition, to be a TV celeb, is the biggest joke ever. She says, “Surely celebs have to do something?”

      I will do something! It’s just I haven’t yet decided what.

      Rather sternly I said, “Cupcake had to go home.”

      “Oh. Well! In that case, if you’re at a loose end,” said Mum, “maybe you could entertain Rosie.”

      I didn’t want to entertain Rosie.

      “I wish you would,” said Mum. “She’s feeling a bit sorry for herself.”

      Just because she had the sniffles. Not even a proper cold! And there was poor little Joey, stuck in a wheelchair and still managing to laugh.

      “Go on,” said Mum. “Do something nice for once!”

      I said, “I don’t feel like it.”

      “Why? What’s wrong?”

      “Cupcake said Joey isn’t going to get any better!” I blurted out. “She said he’s only going to get worse!”

      “Oh.” Mum stopped what she was doing, which was chopping stuff for dinner. She wiped her hands on her apron and held them out to me. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry!”

      I used to have lots of cuddles with Mum when I was little, until Rosie came along. Not that I cared. I was too old for all that kind of stuff in any case. But just now and then, like when she isn’t around, we have a bit of a secret snuggle. It can be quite a comfort.

      “Is that why you’re back early?” said Mum.

      I nodded, with my head pressed into the bib of her apron, which smelt for some reason of oranges. Now I always think of oranges when I think of Joey. I expect I always will.