Page 22 of The Sun Sister

‘Okay. Why don’t we just ask Ma?’

‘We can, yes, but Tiggy got the feeling that she didn’t want to talk about it.’

‘Jeez, Ally! This isourhouse and Ma works for us! We can ask what we want and do as we please here, surely?’

‘Yes, we can, but, well,’ Ally breathed, ‘maybe we just have to tread gently out of respect. Ma’s been here a long time – she’s run the house with Claudia and looked after us, and I don’t want her to feel we’re stepping on her toes now things are...different.’

‘So, what you’re saying is that you want us to sneak down in this elevator in the middle of the night and find out where this door leads to?’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘But I still don’t get why we have to do this cloak and dagger shit when we could just ask her?’

‘Come on, Electra, stop being so brittle. This secret lift and cellar arethere, and Pa put them there for a reason. Whatever you think or feel about him, he was a practical man. Anyway, I’m always awake during the night because of Bear so I’m going to investigate. I just wondered if you fancied coming with me? Tiggy said it would take a couple of us to move the rack in front of the hidden door. She also told me where the key was. Now, would you mind holding Bear for a few minutes while I use the bathroom?’ Ally got up and dumped Bear on my lap. To stop him falling backwards, I had to grab him with both hands. He gave a large burp in retaliation.

‘Brilliant!’ said Ally as she stood in the doorway. ‘I’ve been trying to get that out of him for the past hour!’

The door closed behind her and Bear and I were left alone.

I looked down at him and he looked up at me.

‘Hi,’ I said, praying he wouldn’t pee on me or something. It was the first time I’d ever held a baby.

He gave me a hiccup, and continued to stare at me.

‘What are you thinking, little guy? Are you wondering why, even though I’m your auntie, I’m, like, a totally different colour to your mom? You never met him, but you had a seriously weird grandfather,’ I continued, because he seemed to be enjoying the chat. ‘I mean, he was amazing, like, real clever and stuff, but I think he kept a lot of secrets from all of us. What do you think?’

I suddenly felt his little body relax in my arms and by the time Ally came back, Bear had closed his eyes and was fast asleep.

‘Wow, you’ve got the touch,’ Ally smiled at me. ‘I normally have to rock him for hours before he’ll give in.’

‘I guess he was bored,’ I shrugged as Ally gently took him from my arms.

‘I’m going to put him in his cot and catch some rest while I can,’ she whispered. ‘See you later.’

Before dinner, I made sure that I’d taken enough precautionary vodka to keep calm, then fixed myself another large one from the pantry when I got downstairs. Thankfully, the conversation didn’t go much past how phenomenal Claudia’s cooking was (it was her famous schnitzel, and I ate up every scrap) and the plans for our boat trip to Greece to lay a wreath on the anniversary of Pa’s death.

‘I thought we girls should go on the actual cruise alone, but Maia is flying over the week before with Floriano, who I can’t wait to meet, and his daughter Valentina,’ Ally informed me. ‘Star, Mouse and his son Rory will be flying in, as well as Tiggy, her boyfriend Charlie and his daughter Zara...’

‘Wow!’ I cut in. ‘So Maia, Star and Tiggy are all surrogate mothers to their partners’ children?’

‘Yes, they are,’ Ally agreed.

‘And as your surrogate mother, I know my girls will love the children in their care no less because they are not blood,’ said Ma firmly.

‘Is CeCe coming?’

‘She said she will, yes. She hopes her grandfather and her friend Chrissie might come with her too.’

‘Her “friend” Chrissie?’

Both Ma and Ally stared at me and I wondered why I had to be the only one in the family to actually voice the truth.

‘They’re in a relationship, right?’

‘I don’t know,’ Ally said, ‘but she sounds very happy, which is the most important thing.’

‘But it was obvious from the get-go that CeCe was gay, right? That she was in love with Star?’

‘Electra, it is not our place to pry into other people’s private lives,’ interrupted Ma.

‘But CeCe isn’t “other people”, is she? And besides, what’s the problem? I’m happy for her if she’s found someone she cares for.’