All the Little Things by Sarah Lawton

Author:Sarah Lawton [Lawton, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2021-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

London

The house was silent.

‘Hello?’ called Rachel, as she pushed open the door, tugging her key out of the lock and putting it back in her bag. ‘Mum?’ Everything was still, she could feel that the house was empty. She pulled out her phone, but there was no message. Not that her mum was particularly good at texting; the mobile Rachel had bought her was probably switched off and abandoned somewhere in the house like it usually was. No note in the kitchen.

The skin on the back of her neck prickled as she moved through the downstairs. No sign of Vivian’s school bag. They must have gone somewhere after pick up. But it was late, nearly bedtime. Past bedtime, said the snide voice in her head. You timed it on purpose so you didn’t have to do it. She picked up the landline to call Carol, but then spotted her mum’s mobile sitting right next to it, and swore under her breath. For want of anything else to do she went to the kitchen and looked in the fridge, pulling out a bottle of wine and pouring herself a large glass, which she carried through the front room and drank standing up, watching out of the window. The nights were drawing in.

As the minutes ticked by Rachel felt her nerves getting tighter. Where were they? What was her mother thinking, keeping Vivian out like this? She had a swimming lesson in the morning, she needed to be at home in bed. Then the voice again, not so snide this time: What if she can’t come home? What if he’s come? Taken them? Her stomach clenched around the wine she had drunk, and she sat down, put her glass down. She was being ridiculous. Breathe, she told herself. There was an explanation, they were together somewhere. Carol had probably taken her out for some tea, a Friday night treat. She stood back up, forced herself to go upstairs and get changed. They’d be back any minute.

Wrapped up in her dressing gown, in her most cosy pyjamas, soft fabric comforting against her skin, she had just flicked off the light to her bedroom when she heard the front door go. She ran to the top of the stairs, and to her horror felt her slipper catch against the carpet runner and felt entirely weightless for a second, falling, before managing to grab the banister with a lurch, her heart hammering. How many times would she have to tell her mum it needed re-pinning? She could have broken her neck. The door rattled as she found her feet and her mother came in, shutting it behind her.

‘Mum! Where have you been? Where’s Vivian?’

Carol looked up and smiled beatifically. ‘Hello, my lovely!’ she said, before walking suspiciously steadily down the hall. Legs still shaking from the near-miss on the staircase, Rachel followed. ‘Mum! Where’s Vivian?’

‘Oh,’ said Carol. ‘She’s at Lexie’s. She’s having an over sleep. Sleep in over. Sleepover.’ She laughed.

‘Mum! Are you pissed?’ said Rachel, worry swiftly being replaced with acute crossness.

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