Changing Places Read online

  Slamming the door of the machine shut, she went upstairs to check on her son. Her face softened as she bent to tuck the duvet around him, first extracting a Power Ranger, stuffed elephant and a tiny racing car. With his long dark lashes resting on round pink cheeks, mouth slightly open and dark-blond hair brushed back off his face, he still looked like her baby. Her fingers moved to her stomach and she sighed as she thought of the baby brother or sister growing there.

  Turning off the light, she crept out of Alex’s room and went into her bedroom. Gary’s suit jacket was on the bed, where he’d tossed it when he got in from work. Automatically, Rachel slipped her hand into the pockets and examined the contents. Some loose change, a crumpled-up receipt for soup and a sandwich in the pub across the road from his office, another from a bookshop, and his comb. Nothing to give her any reason to be suspicious, but she was. It had been a year ago now when she’d started to suspect that her husband was up to something. After that terrible night which still gave her the shivers whenever she thought about it.

  She had been settling down to watch Big Brother when there was a bloodcurdling scream from Alex’s room. She’d charged up the stairs and into his room to find him rolling around in agony clutching his side, his pyjamas and sheets covered in vomit. Feeling his forehead, Rachel realized immediately that he was burning up. She called the doctor, hugging the phone between her neck and ear as she held her son and bathed his forehead with a wet cloth.

  ‘Call an ambulance, Rachel,’ her GP had said as soon as she’d described the symptoms. ‘The little man may have appendicitis.’

  As she waited for the ambulance, Rachel tried to reach Gary but there was no answer on his mobile. He was at a business dinner and she knew that Bill Grant, his boss, was with him so she looked in their address book to get Bill’s mobile number. Normally, she would never dream of interrupting Gary when he was out with colleagues, but she knew he wouldn’t mind tonight. This was an emergency.

  Bill Grant seemed slightly bemused at her frantic call. ‘Oh hello, Rachel – no, you’re not interrupting. I was just watching the golf on telly. What can I do for you?’

  Rachel had quickly told him about Alex, conscious that there were blue flashing lights in the road outside. ‘I must have gotten it wrong, Bill. I thought Gary had a business dinner this evening.’

  ‘Nothing official, my dear, although he could well be out with a customer – probably is, in fact. A hard worker, your Gary.’

  Rachel bit her lip as she went to open the door. ‘Yeah, Bill, he is. Look, I must go, the ambulance has arrived.’

  ‘Is there anything I can do?’

  ‘Perhaps you could phone around and see if you can track him down? Tell him we’re on our way to Temple Street Hospital.’

  ‘Consider it done. Now try not to worry, I’m sure the lad will be fine. Our lot were always getting one thing or the other. Looked as if they were at death’s door one minute, right as rain the next.’

  ‘Right, thanks, Bill.’ Rachel hung up and went back to where Alex sat huddled on the sofa, his eyes closed and his face flushed. ‘It’s okay, darling, you’re going to be fine.’

  The rest of the night passed by in a blur. Within an hour, Alex had been in the operating theatre and when Gary arrived, several hours later, Rachel was sitting at his bedside, holding his limp little hand.

  ‘Jesus, is he okay? What happened?’ Gary sank to his knees at the other side of the bed and stared worriedly at his son’s face.

  ‘He’s just out of surgery. They’ve taken his appendix out.’

  ‘Did he wake up? Have you talked to him?’

  ‘Just for a moment. He’s on a lot of medication for the pain. They said he probably wouldn’t wake again until morning.’

  ‘Sleep’s the best thing for him,’ Gary nodded, his eyes never leaving Alex’s face.

  ‘Where were you?’

  ‘What?’

  Rachel watched him steadily. ‘Where were you?’

  ‘I told you, I had a business dinner.’

  ‘You also told me Bill was going, but he was at home watching golf.’

  ‘I didn’t say that – you never listen.’

  ‘Why didn’t you answer your mobile?’

  ‘I left it in the car by mistake.’

  Rachel looked at the clock on the wall at the end of the ward. It was almost three o’clock. ‘That must have been some dinner.’

  Gary shot her an irritable look. ‘Dan decided we should go clubbing. The client was all on for it; there was nothing I could do.’

  Rachel knew Dan Horgan of old. He was in his early thirties, a dedicated bachelor and a man who liked the good life. He had often dragged Gary out with him, although Rachel didn’t believe her husband needed much persuading.

  ‘I would have called,’ he continued, ‘but it was nearly eleven when we left the restaurant and I didn’t want to wake you.’

  And Rachel had let it go at that. She hadn’t been entirely convinced, but her mind had been on Alex and she didn’t want to think about the implications if Gary was lying to her. However, that episode had made her suspicious and now she always checked his pockets and his wallet. Once, she’d even checked his emails when he’d gone to the loo and left his laptop open on the chair beside her. She felt disgusted with herself for snooping but she couldn’t help it. If only he talked to her more, she wouldn’t have to check up on him like this.

  Rachel hung up Gary’s jacket, took off her clothes and went into the bathroom in her bra and pants to remove her make-up. She studied her reflection as she applied her cleanser. She had the same eyes as her sister, Anna, but there the similarity ended. Though Rachel also had red hair, hers was dull and lifeless. The last time she’d gone to the hairdresser, she’d allowed herself to be persuaded to go blonde and had regretted her decision almost immediately. She’d also had it cut in a different, younger style, but the choppy cut did not flatter her. Rather it emphasized her plump cheeks and drew attention to the bags under her eyes.

  Rachel hadn’t slept properly since she’d been pregnant with Alex. In the last month of pregnancy, her back had ached and her bump had been huge and she couldn’t find a comfortable position. Her mother told her that it was her body preparing her for motherhood.

  ‘You’re not going to get much sleep once the little one comes along,’ she’d joked.

  Rachel had laughed too. ‘I don’t care. It will be worth it.’

  And it had been, Rachel thought as she washed her face and patted it dry with the soft towel. Alex was a wonderful little boy but he’d been a difficult baby and she’d spent many nights slumped over his cot while Gary slept soundly, oblivious to his son’s screams. Even now, Alex wasn’t a great sleeper and Rachel often ended up sitting on the edge of his bed in the early hours of the morning. God only knew how she’d cope with two. She did like the idea of a brother or sister for Alex, but the thought of looking after two children on a minimum amount of sleep overwhelmed her.

  She hadn’t told Gary about the baby yet, more as a punishment for being such a grumpy so-and-so than anything else. She knew he’d be over the moon at the news but she was finding it hard to get excited by the idea. Her life had only just started to settle down, and now that Alex was at school she actually had some time to herself again. She often had all her housework done by ten just so that she could go for a walk or have a wander round the shops. She’d also been thinking of joining a gym. She’d never managed to lose those extra pounds after Alex was born and she’d liked the idea of toning up and getting into some of those thin, body-hugging clothes that her sister wore. Now there was no chance of that. Rachel went back to the bedroom, took off her underwear and slipped into white cotton pyjamas. And when the baby was born next December, money would be too tight for her to join anything more adventurous than Weight-Watchers.

  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.

  Chapter 2

  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.