Changing Places (3 page)

She was about to climb into bed when Gary appeared in the doorway. ‘I’ve put out the bins,’ he said.

‘Oh. Right, thanks.’

‘Sorry,’ he said, taking her in his arms. ‘I had a bitch of a day.’

Rachel thought of the mountain of ironing she had done and the shopping expedition in the lashing rain. ‘That’s okay.’

He bent his head and kissed her neck, his fingers moving to explore her breasts. ‘Are you very tired?’

Despite herself, Rachel felt her body respond. ‘Not too tired.’ She closed her eyes as he started to open her pyjamas.

Anna rummaged through the rack of clothes, pulling out a short suede skirt to examine it more closely. After a quick glance at the price tag though, she put it back –
Liam would kill her if she spent any more on clothes. Her Visa bill was up to its limit and she didn’t get paid until the following Thursday. Besides, if they were really going to start a
family she’d have to be a bit more careful with her cash. Babies were expensive. She still remembered her shock at the final bill in Mothercare the day she went with Rachel to buy only the
basics. Still, her sister would probably be able to lend her lots of stuff. Her attic was full of old baby toys, clothes and the pretty cot that had been a gift from their parents.

Walking back out on to the main street in Malahide, Anna psyched herself up to go to the supermarket but it was such a lovely Saturday morning, a walk around the marina was a lot more
tempting.

‘Hey, Anna!’

She turned to see her sister waving at her from across the road.

‘Hi, Rache.’ She crossed the road to join her. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Yeah, fine. Where are you off to?’

Anna sighed. ‘I should be doing the shopping.’

Rachel smiled. ‘Not in the mood, eh? Tell you what. Let’s treat ourselves to a coffee and a cake. We could go up to Café Provence.’

‘Why not? Where’s Gary?’ Anna asked as they headed for the little coffee-shop.

‘Golf. Liam?’

‘Soccer.’

The sisters exchanged tolerant smiles.

‘How come guys get to amuse themselves on Saturdays and we end up doing all the housework and shopping?’ Anna moaned. ‘Where’s Alex?’

‘He’s playing soccer too – now that’s a sight to behold. A gang of five-year-olds chasing a ball around a pitch for an hour, it’s hilarious. I can’t go and
watch any more because Alex gets very cross when I laugh.’

As they approached the coffee-shop a couple vacated a table outside and Rachel made a beeline for it.

‘I’ll go and get some menus,’ Anna said.

‘I don’t need a menu. A large latte and a gooey doughnut for me, please.’ Rachel patted her thickening stomach. Cravings were a great excuse for indulgences.

Anna went inside and ordered lattes and doughnuts for them both before putting on her dark glasses and returning to sit down opposite her sister. ‘Oh, isn’t it a beautiful morning? I
wonder what it’s like where Mam and Dad are. I wonder
where
they are.’

‘Pisa,’ Rachel told her. ‘Mam was looking at the tower when she phoned the other day.’

Anna chuckled. ‘She loves to rub it in, doesn’t she? The last time she called me was from a phonebox just across from the Trevi Fountain. I’ve always wanted to visit Rome ever
since I saw that film with Audrey Hepburn – you know the one.’

‘
Roman Holiday
, with Gregory Peck?’

Anna shook her head. ‘No, it wasn’t Gregory Peck, it was Cary Grant.’

‘It was Gregory Peck,’ Rachel assured her.

‘If you say so.’ Anna pushed her hair back from her face. ‘They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves. You know, when they first told us they were selling up and buying a
camper van I thought that senility was setting in early.’

‘Yeah. I never really saw them as the adventurous sort.’

‘You never do think about your parents like that. It’s like trying to imagine them having sex.’ Anna shuddered and then smiled at the startled waitress who was placing their
order in front of them. ‘Oh thanks, that’s lovely.’

‘I wonder where they’re heading to next?’ Rachel stirred sugar into her coffee. ‘I suppose we’ll have to wait until the next postcard arrives. What are they like!
Wouldn’t you think they’d invest in a mobile?’

‘Mam always loved writing,’ Anna said fondly. ‘Don’t you remember when we went to the Irish college in Donegal she used to send us a couple of cards a week?’

‘God, I’d forgotten all about that. And she posted a congratulations card to me when I had Alex, even though she visited us in hospital every day.’

‘She’s a romantic,’ Anna said. ‘God, I miss them! Wouldn’t it be great to hop on a plane and go out to see them?’

‘Why don’t you?’ Rachel’s tone was slightly sharper than she realized. ‘There’s nothing stopping you.’

Anna cut her doughnut down the middle. ‘No money, and Mark would freak if I took time off. We’re very busy at the moment.’

‘Oh, of course, I was forgetting you were an important businesswoman,’ Rachel sniffed.

‘Oh Rache, don’t start.’

‘Don’t start what?’

Anna sighed. ‘Having a go. All I said was that I was busy.’

‘Aren’t we all? Just because I don’t work doesn’t mean I’m not busy too, you know. You don’t have a life of your own when you have kids. You have to plan,
plan, plan if you want to do anything or go anywhere.’

‘Really?’ Anna sipped her coffee, deciding it was probably best to let her sister have a rant.

Rachel always went on as if Anna had a great life, as though, because they had no kids, she and Liam could hop on a plane whenever they liked. Mind you, when Liam got promoted they’d
probably be able to do just that. Except, Anna reminded herself, they could hardly go gadding about if they wanted to have a family. They’d have to start putting some money by.

Saving had never been a big issue for either of them before. Liam had his pension plan and Anna’s father had made both his daughters take out life and health insurance when they started
work, but apart from that, they lived from pay cheque to pay cheque. Maybe now they should open a proper savings account.

‘Anna?’

She looked up at her sister. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’

‘I was just asking if you two have made any holiday plans yet.’

‘Oh, we’ll probably grab one of those last-minute deals later in the summer. What about you?’

Rachel sighed. ‘I expect we’ll take a house in Enniscrone for a couple of weeks.’

‘That’s nice,’ Anna said, not totally convincingly.

‘No, it bloody isn’t! I’ll still be cooking and cleaning, just in a different location. I would really love to go to Portugal or Spain. It would work out just as cheap, and at
least we’d be guaranteed a bit of sunshine.’

‘And Gary’s not keen?’

‘No, he hates the sun.’

‘That’s a pity.’

‘Yeah.’

An awkward silence descended on them and Anna racked her brains for something to say that might cheer her sister up. ‘I sold a house yesterday,’ she blurted out eventually.

‘That’s nice.’

‘Yeah, I was thrilled. It was in a bit of a state and Mark had been trying to offload it for months.’

‘I should get a job.’ Rachel stared gloomily at the people hurrying past. ‘I miss the buzz of the office. You’ve no idea, Anna, how much easier it is than staying at
home.’

‘I don’t know about that, Rache—’

‘I do! Look, I’ve been there, remember? In an office you know your day will end at a set time and that you’ll get a lunch break and a coffee break, and when you go home, your
time is your own. But it’s completely different when you’re a mother. Sometimes I don’t even get a minute to have a cup of tea, and then there are the broken nights.’

Anna shot her a look of disbelief. ‘But Alex is at school until one, and you’re not saying he wakes every night, are you?’

‘He has nightmares.’ Rachel waved a dismissive hand. ‘And while he’s at school I’m cooking and cleaning. A home doesn’t run itself, you know.’

‘I do know that,’ Anna said. ‘I have to do it all when I get home in the evening.’

Rachel gave her a hard smile. ‘Ah well, you’re quite the wonder woman, aren’t you?’

Anna put down her cup. ‘Oh, for God’s sake! I think I’d better go and do that shopping.’

Rachel immediately stood up. ‘I need to make a move anyway.’

‘I’ll see you, so.’

‘When?’ Rachel demanded. ‘What about tomorrow? Alex hasn’t seen you for ages.’

‘Oh, we can’t, Rache – sorry. We’re meeting Helen and Tom for a game of tennis and then we’ll probably go for a late lunch.’

Rachel’s smile became even more like a grimace. ‘Oh, well, drop in sometime when your busy schedule allows.’ She leaned over to brush her cheek against her sister’s.
‘Bye.’

Anna groaned as she watched her march off towards the car park. Why was it that she always seemed to be in her little sister’s bad books? Nothing she said ever seemed to please Rachel,
Anna thought as she headed back towards the supermarket. And it wasn’t as if she deliberately tried to antagonize or bait her sister. But Rachel seemed to resent her and was always making
smart comments about Anna’s job or lifestyle.

Anna went into the shop, grabbed a basket and wandered down an aisle flinging pre-packed vegetables into it. She felt really bad about turning down Rachel’s invitation, although it had
been more of a command! But, honestly, what was she supposed to do? Liam had made the arrangements with Helen and Tom ages ago. Anna opened a fridge door and rooted around the ready meals. Rachel
could be damn irritating at times and today was definitely one of them. They were sisters, for God’s sake, and with Mam and Dad away they only had each other.

Anna missed the old times. She and Rache used to be so close. Yes, there had been rows, plenty of them, but that was normal. It was especially bad once Anna left school and started working.
Rachel developed a nasty habit of sneaking into her room to nick make-up, clothes and shoes – the ultimate sin in Anna’s eyes. From an early age she’d always had a thing about
shoes and once she’d started work, she’d spent every spare penny she had on them. Though usually quite easygoing, Anna would fight like a cat if Rachel took them without asking.
Inevitably they would be returned dirty or, worse, scratched. Bridie, their mother, would have to intervene and Anna would usually forgive her sister in exchange for one of Rachel’s
hair-do’s.

Rachel had a talent for creating elaborate hairstyles and had infinite patience, taking time and care as she piled Anna’s auburn tresses high on her head. She would never let Anna look at
her reflection until she’d finished, at which stage her sister would stare in amazement at the sophisticated stranger in the mirror.

It was Rachel who had done her hair the first time she met Liam. She had been an old married woman by then but agreed to call over to the house to do Anna’s hair because she’d been
invited to a charity Christmas ball.

‘Everyone who’s anyone goes to this ball,’ Rachel had told her big sister. ‘You have to look your best.’

Anna had been invited by a guy she’d just met. She hadn’t really liked Baz and had no intention of seeing him again, but she couldn’t resist the thought of going to a ball. She
spent hours getting ready, with Bridie and Rachel’s help, and was very pleased with the result.

The long black dress she’d bought for the occasion was a sleek and figure-hugging number with a plunging neckline. With her hair piled on the top of her head, tiny ringlets framing her
face and the pearls her mother had lent her, she didn’t look too bad at all.

‘Gorgeous,’ her mother had pronounced with tears in her eyes.

‘You’ll knock ’em dead!’ Rachel had agreed.

The two women had stood at the hall door, waving as she and Baz had sped off in a taxi.

Anna had been a bit disappointed in Baz on their second meeting. He’d looked a lot better the night they met. Having said that, the club had been dimly lit and she’d had one too many
glasses of cheap champagne. Still, despite his pallor and his bulging watery blue eyes, he looked quite nice in his black tux. Anna loved men in dresswear. Even the wimpiest guy could manage to
look like James Bond in a dinner jacket. She was determined to make the best of the night and enjoy herself.

It didn’t take her long to realize that this would be next to impossible. Without even introducing her to anyone, Baz had left her at their table and disappeared to the bar. Anna made the
best of it and chatted to a couple of the other women. They were halfway through the starter before Baz finally returned, rather the worse for wear and without a drink for Anna. Ignoring her
reproachful look, he proceeded to slag off the food, the band and then he’d launched into a series of filthy jokes. By the time Baz had knocked a full pint of lager over the woman on his
right, Liam, who was sitting across from them, had had enough. Jumping to his feet, he’d strong-armed a somewhat bewildered Baz out of the room and handed him over to a bouncer, who promptly
threw him out.

When Liam returned, he crouched down beside Anna to tell her what had happened.

‘I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your night, but your boyfriend was way out of order.’

‘He’s not my boyfriend!’ Anna protested, ‘I only met him last weekend. God, what a prat! Thanks for getting rid of him, I appreciate it.’ She looked at him from
under her lashes, thinking he was even better-looking close up. ‘Please, let me buy you and your girlfriend a drink.’

Liam grinned at her. ‘She’s not my girlfriend. Her fiancé’s down with the flu and she asked me if I’d like to come along instead.’

‘I’m very glad you did.’

Liam’s eyes twinkled back at her. ‘I’m quite glad I did too.’

And that had been that. Anna had known within weeks that Liam was the man for her and the following Christmas, they got engaged. Rachel, who was eight months’ pregnant at the time, had
pestered her sister not to get married for at least six months, to give her time to have her baby and get her figure back. Anna and Liam had agreed to marry in August and although Rachel still
hadn’t been as skinny as she would have liked, they’d all had a wonderful day.