Page 37 of All Mine (The All Mine #1)

Etienne

Brothers from Another Mother WhatsApp group

Walker : Happy birthday, bro. Just coming off shift.

Etienne : Thanks, bro.

Fox : Just starting my shift here. Happy big 4-0.

Etienne : Ha ha. 39, arsehole.

Fox : See you at The Bolthole. Abbie is coming over for the boys.

Walker : I’m sleeping till then. It’s been a week. Two house fires in two days.

Etienne : Love you guys.

Walker : Back at you.

Fox : Same.

Etienne put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

His birthday was always a weird day. The absence of his parents rolled over him like a steamroller, and for most of the last five years, he’d got through it without knowing where Alex was either.

Fox and Walker had been the people that got him through those days.

Not that he’d told them about Alex’s existence until recently; he’d been too ashamed of his part in his brother’s absence.

But they knew about his parents. And they’d stepped in on their behalf.

They’d had sober birthdays, drunken celebrations and everything in between.

But this year, he already had a better birthday ahead. Because Alex was coming home, and Etienne was going to put things right. He rolled over in bed and lifted his phone again, typing quickly.

Etienne : Happy birthday, Al, you old git.

Alex always made the most of the fact that he was the older twin.

At every birthday party when they were young, he’d told people that he was born first. As if that made him more important.

Until Etienne learned the rhyme, ‘First the worst, second the best, third the one with the hairy chest,’ and then, funnily enough, Alex stopped mentioning it. His phone beeped.

Alex : Happy birthday, Et. Hope we can spend the next one together.

Etienne grinned.

Etienne : Any news?

Alex : Nothing.

Etienne : Let me know when you hear.

There were a handful of cards on the doormat of the restaurant from Katie and some of the other waiting team, old Fred Barrow and others.

Mile End Mickey gave him a cheery wave from the kitchen as he shouted through, ‘Happy Birthday, my old mucker.’ Etienne was setting about getting the restaurant ready for the day when his phone beeped again.

Isabella : Happy birthday.

Etienne : Thanks.

Isabella : Can’t wait to give you your present.

He grinned. Today was most definitely going to be a good day.