Dreamstone

Nursery

"Catherine is actually going to sleep up here with us...tonight...isn't she Mummy?" Chloe asked, turning on the second flight of stairs to implore her mother. She was leading the way as she was the most excited to have me back safe, and sound, whilst Grace was walking behind me and Caroline, naturally more reserved and staying closer to her mother. The twins had been dropped back from Deepdene by one of Caroline's friends, and we had all had milk and a slice of cake in the kitchen, where the excitement levels reached by Chloe, with Grace definitely not far behind, after being reunited with me were incredible. But then Caroline, the spoilsport, had announced that it was time to go up to the nursery and do our homework, which calmed them down, a little. The nursery was, apparently, the room I shared with the twins at the top of the house, a bedroom cum study area cum playroom, according to my rather sullen databank, who really loathed the word nursery. And I had to admit, that was babyish, but as the twins had been born at Broomwaters, and had always slept in the space especially created for them in the loft of the large house, I could see why they all called it that, and I was in a sort of mellow mood after my quiet afternoon, not really caring about details that did not involve dealing with magic and Dreamstones.

"She is...you can listen to her snoring tonight," Caroline chuckled, squeezing me hand again as we emerged from the steep stairs into a huge, light, airy room, with sloping ceilings and lots of roof lights. There was an old sofa against one wall, and three desks at one end, with a large table with a half-finished jigsaw laid out on it.

"I don't snore, Mummy!" I protested, as I looked around at all the smiling faces. I was just joining in with the general mood, I think, feeling like a part of things. And the twins were sort of infectious.

"You really do...but I like it." Grace said, coming up the stairs right behind me. The twins were in their uniforms, obviously. Blazers still on, ties still tight and not a hair out of place.

"Do I even have any homework?" I asked, rolling my eyes at Grace. She stuck out her tongue and giggled.

"You all have revision...for your tests tomorrow...mathematics and geography for you, as I am sure that you have forgotten your timetable...and your books are on your desk," Caroline informed me, whilst the girls went straight to their work stations, which gave me a useful clue as to which one was mine.

"So, I have to go, then?" I asked, a little apprehensively.

"I reserve the right to make a last-minute decision, but as I said earlier, it would be useful if you did, little one." Caroline said, putting her arm around my shoulders and walking me over to the third desk. "So...I need to go cook your gruel...try to do some work and not talk all the time...ok?"

"Yes, Mummy." Everyone said, although I was a beat behind the twins. I was a good enough student at Redstone, but that did not mean I liked homework, and no one liked revision. But as Caroline went back down, closing the door behind her, the twins were both busily getting books out of their satchels, getting ready to study. So, I sat down, and did the same. My satchel was on the back of my chair, empty, and there was a pile of exercise books on the desk, with the ones I needed right there on top, as Caroline had promised.

"Did they stick any needles in you, Catherine?" Chloe whispered, after about thirty seconds or so, when she probably thought her mother was well on the way downstairs.

"Only one..."

"Did it hurt? Was there any blood?"

"Not really..."

"Chloe, you are such a vampire!" Grace hissed, which made Chloe giggle. "Daddy told us that Catherine just had a checkup...was it horrible, Catherine?"

"No...Mummy was there...but I am glad to be home." I said, honestly. They were treating me very much like part of the family, which was nice, and confusing too. Because I was like a cuckoo in the nest, spying on their perfect lives. Baby lives, inner Cate added, causing me to frown and open my geography book, whilst pushing her back into the darkness.