Anita rubbed her hands against the back of her jeans as she answered the door. She was smiling, which seemed to be the default expression on her face.
Lucy was happy to see that smile. Today she was wearing a blonde wig cut into a blunt bob, which brought her hair to her shoulders. The rose-patterned dress she was wearing was similar to Anita’s clothes, and she was disappointed to see her in a sweatshirt and jeans. Lucy put on a brave smile and took a deep breath. ‘Hello, I’m sorry to bother you.’ She took a deep breath and exhaled again. ‘Oh my gosh, this is so hard.’ Gracefully, she extended her hand. It was a swan-like movement Lucy had practised countless times. ‘My name is Lucy; I think… I mean, I am your daughter.’
The colour left Anita’s face as she stared, open-mouthed, her eyes wide in shock.
‘Muuuuummmyyyy,’ the little girl called from the kitchen.
Lucy bristled within at the irritating squeal. But it brought another smile to Anita’s face as she called back: ‘I’ll be there in a minute, sweetheart.’
‘Well, please, do come in,’ Anita said, closing the front door behind her. ‘I’m sorry, this has come as a shock.’
Sunlight streamed through the glass door panels bathing the women in a soft glow. There was something ethereal about their meeting. Lucy felt it in the air. This was meant to be.
A strange hiccup-sounding sob caught in the back of Anita’s throat as tears clouded her eyes. ‘This is crazy,’ she said, giving another little gasp. ‘Are you saying you’re really my daughter? The little girl I gave up all those years ago?’
Lucy nodded, mirroring Anita’s emotions. ‘Yes. It’s me, Mum. It’s really me.’
Anita opened her arms wide. ‘Well, in that case, give me a hug.’
Lucy had not been expecting the instant display of affection after all the times she had been turned away. It warmed her from the inside out, and she breathed in her mother’s flowery perfume, gratefully accepted her embrace. But their perfect moment was rudely interrupted by that irritating sound from the kitchen.
‘Mummy, I’m done.’
Lucy’s eyes snapped open, narrowing over Anita’s shoulder as she stared at the kitchen door. Something would really have to be done about her.
Anita caught the tears with the tips of her fingers as she pulled away. ‘That’s Sophie… your sister. Oh my gosh, I’m shaking. I don’t know what to say.’ Pulling a ragged tissue from her pocket, she lightly dabbed her face. ‘Would you mind waiting in the living room while I see to Sophie? I’ll get you a drink. What would you like? Tea or coffee? Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re here,’ she said, breathlessly, showing her into her humble abode.
‘A cup of tea would be lovely, thanks,’ Lucy said softly. ‘Two sugars and milk. But I can come back at a better time, if you prefer? I didn’t know how to approach you. I wasn’t sure how you’d react.’ Lucy began to squeeze a couple of her own tears out, in keeping with her mother’s response.
Anita grabbed her hands and grasped them tightly. ‘Oh, sweetheart, I’m not letting you go anywhere. I’ve been searching for you for years, but I kept hitting a dead end. I’m so happy to have you here. Please tell me you’ll stay.’
Lucy could not believe her ears. Even while she watched Anita she never dared believe that she would react in this way. After all the rejections it was a dream come true. She had been right to choose a mother who was naturally maternal, unlike the others who rejected her from the start: Emily, a wet rag, who allowed people to walk all over her, and Monica, a career-driven materialistic cow. ‘Of course, I’ll take a seat and wait for you.’
‘I just need to speak to Sophie, tell her that we have a very special visitor. And I have to tell my husband. Oh my goodness, I just can’t believe this. I can’t wait to hear all about you.’ Anita wiped away another errant tear, blew her nose, and pushed the tissue back into her pocket. ‘I’ll be with you in five minutes,’ she said.
Lucy took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Her eyes danced over the pictures on the walls and she imagined her face in the pictures instead of the little girl lined up in the shot. Of course, Anita would be unhappy if anything happened to her, and Lucy would have to take that into account when disposing of the rest of the family. A tall gangly looking man stared out happily from the family photo, his arm draped around what looked like a younger version of himself.
Anita’s husband, from what Lucy’s investigations had uncovered, who was conveniently away with his son.
Lucy sighed. More people to be taken care of. If only the rest of the world could just disappear and leave her and her mother alone. She stiffened as footsteps approached, catching the tail end of a telephone conversation as Anita paced the hall.
‘Yes, it’s really her. She said her name is Lucy now. No, I haven’t asked her. It might be all a bit overwhelming. I think it’s best that we take things slowly to begin with… I know… I can’t believe that she’s here, sitting in our living room.’
Lucy strained to listen as the conversation faded away, and rising from her chair, she pressed her ear to the door. A kettle boiled in the distance while a children’s cartoon played a happy tune. She stepped back at the sound of the clink of cups being carried on a tray down the hall. Lucy perched on the sofa, plastering a smile on her face. Her heart swelled at the sight of the tray laden with tea, chocolate digestive biscuits and sandwiches cut in triangles. Nobody had ever offered her refreshments before. ‘You shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.’
Anita’s eyes were alive with excitement. ‘It’s the least I can do after you’ve come all this way to find me. I’ve so many questions, but I was just saying to my husband, you must be feeling overwhelmed.’
Lucy nodded, dropping two cubes of sugar into her flower-patterned cup. It was all so homely; she felt like hugging herself. ‘My stomach’s been churning at the thought of visiting. I’ve come to your front door so many times and walked away.’ It was enough to cover up the fact she had been there before, in case some nosy neighbours pointed her out. ‘But the same must go for you, having me turn up out of the blue. I don’t even know how you feel about having me here.’
Anita’s eyes began to well up for the second time that day. ‘Darling, I’m over the moon. I want you to meet everybody; after all you’ve got a half-sister and brother that will be dying to meet you,’ she said, ‘but I’ll respect your wishes and take things as slowly as you want.’
Lucy did not consider the little girl in the kitchen as her sister. Her mind could only bend reality so far. And, in Lucy’s world, there was no room for sharing.