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Dressed in black jeans and a charcoal shirt, I roll my sleeves to my elbows in front of the mirror, check myself out. Feeling too formal, I pop open an extra button and adjust my collar. Ruffle my hair a little. I’ll do, I think. I don’t plan to stay long anyway. I’ll show my face, introduce myself to the family I’m betraying, make my excuses and leave.
Thankfully, Josie appears to have forgiven me by the time we set off towards the cottages. It’s nice, all of us together. Reminds me of being a kid, back when I’d visit during the summer and Dad would walk us for miles after Sunday dinner to ‘Stroll off the indigestion’. I didn’t know what indigestion was, but I liked exploring the country lanes and pushing Caleb in the stream. I never dared doing it to Emmett, though. Despite being two years younger than me, he overtook me in size by the time he was six and has never been afraid to knock me on my arse when I deserve it.
We’re there. Josie’s knuckles are inches away from the door. As she knocks, my heart swells in anticipation…and then sinks. A blonde answers. His wife. She’s all smiles. High cheeks. Friendly-looking. Slim. Attractive. She opens her arms, hugs Josie, then Emmett. She seems lovely…and I don’t like her. For no reason at all, the sight of her makes my nails dig into my palms.
“…Must be Laurie?”
My name grabs my attention. She pretends she doesn’t recognise me, calls me by my family name, which is sort of sweet. I hate that she seems sweet. I plaster my literally award-winning smile in place. “Nice to meet you finally,” I say, leaning in to kiss the cheeks of the wife of the man I think I’m falling in love with.
“And you! I knew Josie was holding out on me about extra guests, but I didn’t expect one of them to be you.” She looks genuinely happy to meet me, which is making it harder to hate her by the second. “I should apologise in advance for my daughter, because I think she may become a little starstruck when she sees you.”
“Nae bother. Two minutes with me and she’ll realise I’m nothing special.”
Rebecca, or Becca as William calls her laughs. Rebecca. Becca. I sound them out in my head, decide I feel more comfortable with Rebecca.
“Well, come on in, everyone. Will’s out the back manning the barbecue. Thank goodness we’ve got a dry night.”
I trail behind the rest of my family, closing the door behind me. My little nieces run straight ahead as if they own the place, which I suppose they do in a roundabout way. Caleb and Emmett are more reserved, standing idly in the open-plan space between the living room and kitchen as if awaiting further instruction, and Josie chats away to Rebecca as if they’ve been best friends for years.
A girl, or young lady rather, is sitting at the dining table. She looks up from her mobile phone as we pile in, starts to look away, sees me…and freezes. Her eyes pinch my breath for a moment. They’re just like his, like William’s. Same shape. Same colour.
“Lucy, right?” I say, approaching her. I hold out my hand for her to shake. “I’m Laurie.”
Her small arm wobbles as she brings it up to meet my hand. “H-hi. I’m Lucy.” She drops my hand and huffs, annoyed with herself. “Which you know because you just said it. So stupid.” The last part is muttered quietly under her breath, and I decide to leave her alone to recover. It’s funny, in the early days of navigating fame, I found the effect I had on people amusing. Cool, even. Now, it’s just tiring.
“Catch you later, Lucy.”
Lucy nods rapidly, and I’m pretty sure she captures a photo of me while I’m walking away, too.
In the living room, my dad, frank as ever, asks Rebecca, “You wouldn’t mind if I pop the cricket on would ya, love?” He’s already taken residency on the couch, picked up the remote from the table.
“Not at all,” Rebecca says. “I’ll get some drinks going in a moment. I’ll just tell Will you’ve arrived.”
“I can do that,” I offer. “He’s out the back, you say?” My reasons are entirely selfish. Of course I’d rather see William alone, but I also think it’s best for everyone here if no one else witnesses his face when he sees that I’ve turned up.
Rebecca nods. “Thanks, Laurie. He’ll be surprised to see you.”
You have no idea…
There’s noise coming from one of the bedrooms on my way to the back of the cottage, the sound of a TV or radio, and I wonder if that’s where William’s son is. He wasn’t out front with everyone else. His son, my mind repeats, as if to remind me William has a family. Like I could forget for even a second. The problem is that as soon as I see William through the French doors, I can’t bring myself to care.
