didn’t want to let her go.
‘Here’s your ride,’ Natalie said.
The nurse pulled away and left us. I glanced over the car park to see the old post office minibus. The back door was open and a ramp stuck out. Natalie grabbed hold of my chair and wheeled me across the concrete. The tyres squeaked as we moved across the ground. It was a foreign sound. One that I would have to get used to over the coming months.
‘Aries…!’ Leo greeted as we approached.
I didn’t know whether to laugh, or cry. He was on his own. I was grateful for that. I had hoped my siblings would respect me enough to let me get on with it. It looked like they were doing that.
‘Good to see you, mate,’ I muttered, swallowing hard.
Natalie let go of the chair and Leo stepped forward. He patted me on the back, avoiding eye contact. Taking hold of the handles, he pushed me up the ramp and into the back of the van. A couple of seats had been taken out to make room for the wheelchair.
‘I hope you kept the seats. You’ll be putting them back in soon.’
‘Of course I did,’ he replied, patting my back again.
Prickles tightened my skin. He was trying to reassure me but he made it worse. He got out as Natalie climbed in beside me. She fastened the brakes and sat in one of the remaining seats.
I fought the urge to punch the seat in front of me. ‘This bloody sucks arse,’ I mumbled as Leo climbed in the driver seat.
‘Yes, it does,’ Natalie replied.
My gaze shot to her. She was smiling, which made me lighter. She had never put up with my childish tendencies. She always ignored them.
‘Why are you here?’ I asked.
She didn’t say anything.
Leo rescued her by shouting back to me. ‘I got a record contract, mate.’
My mood was swinging from happy, to sad, to angry and I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. ‘That’s amazing. Good job.’
They went silent when they heard how false my words were. I meant them. I just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm needed. They looked away from me, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I stared at the passing streets of London as we made our way home.
Chapter Seven
The front door loomed at the top of the steps. The ramp leading up to it was a reminder of my missing limbs. Every part of me wanted to stay at the bottom. I didn’t have a choice, though, I had to face them sometime.
The front door opened and Leo wheeled me inside.
‘Welcome home,’ Pisces said, bending down to kiss my cheek.
Her calm energy enveloped me. I wanted to keep her close, just to calm my raging fire. Antony stood behind her but otherwise the kitchen was empty. I pushed my breath out of my lungs. Thank bloody goodness there wasn’t a huge welcoming committee. I would have thrown a fireball if they had all been there.
‘I’ve given up my room for you.’
Pisces walked in front of me as I wheeled myself to the centre of the kitchen. There was a hallway to the left that led to my old bedroom. There was another one on the right that led to Pisces’ room. Which was apparently now my room.
‘But I got that room especially for you,’ I said, grabbing her hand.
‘It’s okay. Cancer has moved in with the other girls and given us her room.’ Antony smiled down at me.
He was as kind as his soulmate. I was grateful for the lack of judgement in them both. I wasn’t going to get the same from my other siblings. Each one of them would handle me differently. My fingers clenched the arms of the chair. Why had they put themselves out for me?
‘Would you like to go to your room to rest?’ Natalie asked.
Her voice reminded me that she was still there. My heart beat a little faster when she took my hand. When she bent down to my height, I scowled.
‘Don’t do that!’
She got up instantly and muttered an apology before going over to the kettle and turning it on.
‘Don’t talk to her like that,’ Pisces chastised.
Pisces may be the emotional one. She could also be the most cutting. The earth signs
Learning to Kill: Stories