The Secrets Sisters Keep: A heartwarming, funny and emotional novel (The Devlin Sisters Book 2)

by Sinéad Moriarty

  And if I didn’t? To Hell with it! I’d be fine.

  38

  Louise

  I hugged Clara goodnight. ‘Bye-bye, Mummy, see you later,’ she said.

  ‘I won’t be late,’ I said to Gavin.

  ‘Whatever, it’s cool.’

  ‘Uncle Gavin, it’s your turn,’ Clara said.

  They went back to their game of cards. Gavin had found a deck with birds on them and was teaching Clara to play poker. She loved it and was turning into quite the card shark.

  Who would have thought that my little brother would turn out to be the person who understood her best? In the three weeks Gavin had been looking after her, Clara had thrived. Between his care, Colin’s guidance and my absolute determination to help her navigate life, she was already making progress.

  I still woke at night panicking about her future. I still worried about how she would cope as she got older and her differences became more apparent to other people. I worried about how she would manage in school. Would she make any friends? Would she be bullied? Would she ever be able to ‘fit in’?

  But the pain in my chest was easing and I didn’t feel so emotional. I was back in control. In the last two sessions with Colin I hadn’t cried. I’d been more like myself, which was a relief. I didn’t want him thinking I was an emotional wreck.

  When I arrived at the restaurant, Julie and Sophie were already there. I was glad to see Sophie looking so much better. The washed-out look was gone and she had some colour in her cheeks. She’d cut her hair into a short bob with a heavy fringe. It looked fantastic. ‘I love your hair,’ I said.

  She ruffled it with her fingers. ‘Thanks. I decided I wanted a whole new me. I’ve had long WAG-like hair for too many years.’

  ‘You look ten years younger. It’s gorgeous.’ Julie beamed at her.

  ‘Thanks. I feel like a new woman.’ Sophie smiled. It was good to see.

  I sat down and picked up a menu. ‘Can we order? I had to take Clara to see Colin this morning so I skipped lunch and I’m starving.’

  We ordered our food and some wine. ‘How was your session today?’ Sophie asked.

  ‘Good, actually. He’s really wonderful with her. He’s got a gift.’

  ‘He’s very good-looking. I googled him,’ Julie said.

  ‘Really?’ Sophie raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Come on, guys, he’s my daughter’s psychologist.’

  ‘So what?’ Sophie said.

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I said, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation because, in truth, I found Colin very attractive.

  ‘Is he single?’ Julie asked.

  ‘That doesn’t matter to Louise,’ Sophie said, with a grin.

  ‘He’s separated, actually,’ I informed them. ‘Touché, Sophie.’

  ‘How do you know that?’ Sophie asked.

  ‘It came up in conversation.’

  ‘Really?’ Julie winked at Sophie.

  ‘Stop it.’

  ‘I think someone fancies the doctor.’ Sophie giggled.

  ‘I don’t.’

  ‘Well, how come you’re wearing that sexy article? It was hardly for your clients.’

  She had me there. I had chosen a dress that I never normally wore to work because it was a bit too sexy. I had matched it with a conservative jacket for the office, but had ditched the jacket when I got to Colin’s office. I found myself looking forward to our appointments with him more and more. It was such a cliché to fancy your child’s doctor. Besides, he was very professional and never flirted with me, although I had caught him looking at my legs today … ‘Can we please change the subject?’ I begged.

  ‘OK, but we know we’re right,’ Julie said.

  ‘If he has a hot brother, let me know.’ Sophie laughed.

  ‘How’s your golf going?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m pretty awful at it, but it’s fun and very distracting. I spent all of last weekend at this intense golf boot camp. I was so busy trying to remember all of the things the pro was telling me to do that the day flew by and I didn’t miss Jess. Usually I find the weekends without her very long and lonely, but it was fine.’

  ‘Well, if Harry’s anything to go by, you’ll become obsessed with it,’ Julie said.

  ‘Is he still playing as much?’ I asked.

  Julie shook her head. ‘No. Since we had that big chat, he’s agreed to play just one Sunday a month. He’s really been trying and the boys are so happy to have him around more. They missed him. It’s been lovely. I cooked us a late dinner last night and we actually sat down together and had a conversation. It’s strange. It feels as if we’re getting to know each other again.’

  Sophie reached out and patted Julie’s hand. ‘That’s great, Julie. You guys have a strong foundation. You’ll be fine as long as you keep working at it.’

  ‘He’s taken my wanting to get a job very seriously. He’s teaching me how to use PowerPoint and Excel and he keeps offering to set me up in a flower shop, a coffee shop, a boutique or any business I want.’

  ‘And?’ I asked.

  Julie shrugged. ‘I’m not an entrepreneur. I don’t want to run my own business and have to deal with staff and wages and all that. I just want a part-time job I enjoy that keeps me busy, but still leaves me plenty of time to read.’

  ‘And keeps you away from Facebook!’ Sophie grinned.

  ‘God, please don’t remind me of that.’ Julie shuddered.

  ‘How’s Pippa? Is she still being the wicked stepmother?’ I asked.

  Sophie sipped her wine. ‘Jess said she was still grumpy but a bit nicer this weekend, and that when she started snapping, Jack took her and Robert out for a walk so Pippa could have a nap.’

  ‘I wonder if Jack regrets getting involved with her now that she’s not all young and bouncy,’ Julie mused.

  ‘I don’t think so. I think he’s just hoping this is a phase that will end when Robert starts sleeping through the night.’

  Julie roared laughing. ‘Good luck to him with that. My kids have only started sleeping through the night recently. After the baby stage you get the teething, then the bloody night terrors and then the bed-wetting.’

  ‘Anyway, it’s SEP, as Jess said the other day.’ Sophie grinned.

  ‘SEP?’ Julie wondered.

  ‘Somebody else’s problem,’ Sophie explained.

  I went to pour more wine, but Julie stopped me. ‘No, thanks. After the Dan fiasco, I realized I was drinking too much.’

  I topped up Sophie’s glass and mine. ‘How is Dan? Any word?’

  ‘Not since he texted to call me a prick-tease. In capital letters, no less.’

  ‘What a total idiot.’ Sophie grinned.

  ‘He’s such a tosser. Why did you ever go out with him?’ I asked.

  ‘I honestly don’t know,’ Julie said, staring into her half-empty glass. ‘I suppose he was good-looking back then, but it’s all a bit of a blur. I do remember now that he was always tight. I think that’s why I broke up with him, actually. He never wanted to spend any money. He always wanted to stay in, drink cheap beer, eat toast and have sex. I just got bored.’

  ‘He didn’t come up in your big chat with Harry, then?’ I asked.

  ‘God, no!’ Julie’s eyes were wide. ‘Harry does not need to know about it. Besides, it was just a load of hot air.’

  ‘And throbbing members.’ Sophie chuckled.

  I put my fork down. ‘Stop! You’re putting me off my food.’

  ‘Can we please change the subject?’ Julie begged.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ I asked Sophie. ‘You look great but are you able to manage work and Jess? You don’t think you went back to the office too quickly?’

  ‘No. I needed to get back to normal. Besides, poor Quentin is so traumatized about what happened that he’ll only allow me to do the bare minimum.’

  ‘Well, if you need anyone to answer phones or help dress models, I’m free,’ Julie offered.

  I hadn’t planned on telling them a
bout it yet, because it was still early in the planning, but I figured now was as good a time as any.

  ‘Actually, Julie, I need your help. In the research I’ve done into Asperger’s and the whole autism spectrum, I’ve discovered that, because the health system in this country is such a joke, people who can’t afford to be seen privately have to wait up to two years to have their child assessed. That’s far too long and puts the child at a huge disadvantage. I’ve decided to do something about it. I’m setting up the Clara Devlin Foundation to help with early diagnosis. I need to get a lot of people on board – psychologists, nutritionists, nurses, doctors, carers, parents and anyone else who deals with or has experience with children on the autism spectrum. I want to create a safe place where parents can come for free advice, help and assessments. I’m going to tap my wealthier clients for funding and –’

  Julie sat up very straight in her seat. ‘I’ll be happy to give you the money. It’s no problem. How much do you need?’

  I put my hand on her arm. ‘Julie, I don’t want your money. I want you to help me set it up and run it.’

  ‘Really?’ Julie looked shocked.

  ‘Yes. You’re brilliant with people and you’d be a great asset. It’ll probably be very busy in the beginning, but you can work around the boys’ schedule and –’

  ‘Oh. My. God … Louiiiiiiiise!’ Julie burst into tears and cried loudly into her napkin.

  ‘Hey, now.’ Sophie rubbed her back.

  Julie pulled the napkin down. ‘I’d be honoured to help. I’m so touched, thank you. You really are the best sister. I promise I’ll make this foundation the best foundation anyone has ever seen. I’ll work twelve hours a day. I’ll do everything I can. I’m so happy. I was thinking of going to stack shelves in Tesco just to get me out of the house, but now I’ll be doing something brilliant and worthwhile. I promise I won’t let you down. Thank you, thank you!’ She threw her arms around me.

  I hugged her back. ‘Julie, I know you won’t let me down. I have total confidence in you. I’m going to ask Gavin to help run it, too.’

  ‘I feel left out now,’ Sophie said.

  ‘Sophie, you have a full-time job and you’re a single mum. You have enough on your plate.’

  ‘I’d like to help, though. I’ll come in on the weekends.’

  ‘That would be great, and I’ll be looking for someone to organize a charity fashion show fundraiser, so I’ll definitely need your help too.’

  ‘I’d be delighted.’

  ‘It’ll be fun, all of us working together, and I’ll even be able to do pie charts for you on PowerPoint,’ Julie said, as we laughed.

  I explained that I had three premises in mind and I’d like them to view them with me. I wanted their input, not just as sisters but as mothers. I wanted the foundation to be somewhere that parents and children would enjoy coming to spend time.

  I’d spoken to Mum about it and she had promised to help too. Dad had offered to do the books for me. It was going to be a family affair and, I hoped, somewhere for Clara to feel happy and safe, maybe even make friends.

  I was determined for her differences not to stop her leading a full and joyful life. Clara’s Asperger’s had changed my life and made me look at things differently. I’d had to rip up my plans for her and start afresh. It was challenging but I was determined to make this new life-path as wonderful as I could for my little girl and me.

  The motto for the foundation was going to be a Proust quote that I’d come across when researching Asperger’s. It expressed exactly how I felt: ‘The real voyage of discovery consists … in seeing with new eyes.’

  39

  Julie

  I unlocked the door and turned to Harry. ‘Ta-dah!’

  ‘Wow,’ he said, taking it all in.

  We had worked non-stop for three months to get the place ready for the grand opening.

  ‘You’ve done incredible work. No wonder I’ve hardly seen you lately. The place is transformed. Well done.’ He kissed me.

  ‘I’m so happy, Harry. I haven’t felt this fulfilled in ages. I really feel like I’m doing something that matters. I’m not just going to be working but helping people, too. It’s brilliant. I feel alive again.’

  Harry laughed. ‘I can see that.’

  There was a knock on the door. Harry opened it. Dad, Gavin and Jack were carrying cases of wine, followed by Mum, Sophie and Shania, with platters of canapés. Jess came in behind them, bearing napkins and tablecloths. After Jess, came Louise and Colin, who were hidden behind huge bunches of flowers.

  Louise put her flowers on the floor. ‘Thanks for being here, everyone. Only two hours to go until the official launch. Can you believe it’s actually happening?’ She beamed.

  We all cheered.

  ‘How about a glass of wine?’ Gavin suggested.

  ‘Not yet! Too much to do,’ Louise said. ‘Right, if the men can sort out the wine, we’ll set up the flowers and the food. Gavin, I need you to organize the sound system for my speech and presentation.’

  I went over to help Sophie with the flowers. We made up six beautiful bouquets and set them around the room.

  ‘Isn’t this exciting?’ I said. ‘Louise really is amazing.’

  ‘And so are you,’ Sophie said. ‘You’ve done so much work setting the place up. You’ve been a rock to Louise. You’re so good at handling her when she gets all tense and bossy.’

  I grinned. ‘That comes from sharing a bedroom with her for sixteen years. Besides, I’ve loved working on this project.’

  ‘You seem so much happier, back to the old fun Julie.’

  I paused. ‘I don’t think I realized how lost I was.’

  ‘Well, it’s great to see you back to yourself.’

  ‘Thanks. How are you? How was the date?’

  Sophie wrinkled her nose. ‘It was OK. He was nice, but not my type. I’ve got five more lined up over the next month. The thing I like about this dating agency is that you just go for coffee with the guy so it was only thirty minutes out of my day.’

  ‘Are you talking about men?’ Jack stuck his head between us.

  ‘Yes.’ Sophie laughed. ‘I was telling her about my date.’

  ‘Forget him. I’ve got a great guy for you. Nigel works in my office. I know you’ll like him. He’s like me but not as good-looking and three years older.’

  Sophie rolled her eyes. ‘Definitely not my type.’

  ‘I know your type.’

  ‘I’ve changed my taste since you.’ Sophie swatted him with a white rose.

  Jack laughed. It was nice to see them getting on so well. In fact, it almost seemed like they were flirting.

  Jess came over and stood between them. ‘What else can I do, Mum?’ she asked.

  ‘Could you help Granny with the food?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Thanks, Jess, you’ve been great,’ I said.

  ‘It’s fun.’ Jess smiled and skipped over to her grandmother.

  Jack’s phone rang. He looked down. The screen flashed ‘Pippa’. Without answering it, he put it back into his pocket.

  ‘Jack!’ Sophie scolded.

  ‘I’ll call her in ten minutes.’

  ‘She might need you. Robert could be running a temperature or something,’ Sophie said.

  ‘More likely she needs a soya milk latte urgently from Starbucks.’ He sighed.

  ‘Be nice. Robert’s still young – she’ll be back to her old self soon.’

  ‘Here’s hoping,’ he grumbled.

  Sophie nudged him towards the door. ‘Thanks for helping. Now go home to Pippa.’

  Jack left reluctantly.

  I turned to Sophie. ‘You two seem to be getting on well.’

  She smiled. ‘Much better, since his worship of Pippa wore off. But I’m worried. He needs to make more of an effort with her – they’re fighting a lot. I really don’t want them to break up. It’d be bad for Jess.’

  ‘Not if you got back together with him,’ I said, looking at her
sideways.

  ‘Don’t be silly.’ Blushing, she scurried off to help Jess and Mum with the canapés.

  Louise and Colin were deep in conversation about her speech. I heard Louise say, ‘I want to talk about their special qualities and talents.’

  Colin nodded. ‘Absolutely. Why don’t you take out that paragraph and move it there?’ He pointed at the screen.

  Louise frowned. ‘No, because then that won’t make sense.’ She thumped her leg in frustration. ‘Oh, God, it’s all wrong. It has to be perfect.’

  Colin took her chin and turned her face towards him. ‘No, it doesn’t. It needs to be heartfelt and passionate, which it is and you are. Now, stop fussing over every syllable and talk from your heart.’ He kissed her gently on the lips.

  I could see the tension melt away as Louise responded.

  ‘Get a room!’ Gavin shouted.

  ‘Stop that,’ Mum hissed. ‘She’s finally met a nice man who seems to like her and Clara. Under no circumstances is anyone to mess it up. I want to see Louise settled and happy, and Colin seems very suitable.’

  ‘It’s awesome to see Louise being like an actual woman and not just kicking arse,’ Shania said.

  ‘I agree with you there. I was worried if any man would be up for the challenge of being Louise’s boyfriend,’ Dad said.

  ‘She’s brilliant. Any man would be lucky to have her,’ I defended my sister.

  Gavin snorted. ‘Dude, we know she rocks, but she’s no picnic for a guy. She gives off this very I-don’t-need-a-man-in-my-life vibe.’

  ‘Well, Colin doesn’t seem intimidated,’ Harry pointed out, with a smile, as the loved-up pair continued to kiss.