Another Me by Cathy MacPhail Read Free Book Online

happen.’
    A sister.
    â€˜Maybe she’s just found out about you, and she’s jealous because she was given up for adoption and now she thinks you’ve got her life.’
    â€˜And she wants it back,’ Dawn finished.
    A sister. Was that the explanation?
    I thought about it all that day, not knowing if it wasbetter than the alternative. But I knew I had to find out. I had to know the truth.
    That night, I waited for the right moment to confront Mum. My eyes didn’t leave her all the while we sat in front of the TV. Watching her, wondering if she really had given my sister away and if that sister was back now, watching
me
.
    When Dad went in for his bath she turned to me and asked, ‘Is something bothering you, Fay?’
    I wet my lips nervously. ‘Mum, have you got any secrets you haven’t told me?’
    Her face grew stern. ‘I don’t have secrets any more. Right!’ She nodded towards the bathroom. ‘Has he put you up to this? Is he telling you I’m still seeing—’ she blushed. ‘I go to work. I come home. I don’t even go out with my friends. No secrets. Not any more.’
    I shook my head. ‘I didn’t mean that. Honest, Mum. I meant ...a long time ago. Before I was born.’ I was trying to find the right words. Not making a very good job of it. ‘Have you ever had another baby?’
    Her face crumpled into a relieved smile. She was suddenly on the sofa next to me. Hugging me close. ‘You know I lost two babies before you. I am so lucky to have you. My only precious baby.’ She kissed my brow.Normally I would be dead embarrassed if she did that, but now it comforted me. It felt good to be hugged.
    â€˜Now, what brought that on?’ she asked.
    â€˜People keep seeing someone who looks like me. They think it is me. She seems to be following me. I thought maybe . . .’ I let the words drift into the silence.
    â€˜You thought you had a sister somewhere? A daughter I’d given up before you were born?’ She shook her head. ‘You read too many books. This girl probably doesn’t look a bit like you really. Not half as pretty. She’ll be jealous of you, I bet.’ She pulled me to my feet. ‘Come on. Let’s make some cheese on toast for supper. We’ll have it ready for Dad when he comes out of his bath. Give him a treat.’
    I knew it wasn’t a satisfactory explanation, but I pushed it away, refusing to think of it anymore. Because this was what I loved best. Me and Mum and Dad, sitting round the table eating cheese on toast, just like old times.
    I decided that night would be the end of it. It would never happen again.

Chapter Twelve
    â€˜So, no sister?’ Dawn sounded disappointed.
    Kaylie was still determined that a sister had to be the explanation. ‘What about your dad? Did you ask him?’
    â€˜I think Mum would know if she’d had another baby.’
    Kaylie tutted. ‘I don’t mean your mum’s baby, silly. I mean ... maybe your dad had a girlfriend, and she had a baby. A girl. Same age as you. And now she’s stalking you, because you’re the one with the dad.’
    She really did have some imagination. ‘You watch too many soaps, Kaylie. This is real life, remember.’
    â€˜Truth,’ she said, with a sniff, ‘is stranger than fiction.’
    I dismissed her suggestion. ‘Even if that
was
true, she wouldn’t look so much like me. I don’t look like Dad at all.’ I looked just like Mum. Same fair hair, same turned-up nose, same smile. Her mirror image, peoplewho had known her as a girl would say.
    â€˜Well, I’ve run out of ideas then,’ Dawn said. ‘Are you sure you’re not just potty?’ She grinned at me, and Kaylie giggled. So did I. Not letting them see how scary that suggestion actually was.
    I was hardly listening as Mr Hardie the science teacher droned on. It was not my favourite