✅ My Sister's Problem

53. Just Desserts

When I heard the sound of the car in the driveway, I hurried to shift the couch back into its usual place. Scrubbing the carpet with cleaning products had made the puddle larger than we thought, and then I'd decided that it was better to push the couch aside so that the towel could cover the whole thing. It was dry now, of course; and the towel was in the laundry hamper under the ones I had used for my shower. It smelled of fruity, soapy stuff, but that wouldn't have been any clue even if Mum sniffed it. My sister's little secret was safe now. I'd done everything else I promised as well, including putting clean covers back on the cushions. So when they returned, the only thing left to do was putting the couch back in its usual place. It was heavy, but there were little impressions in the carpet where it had sat for so long, so as soon as it was nearly there it just slid back into the right place.

I'd washed their lunch dishes as well, to make the kitchen tidier. And I was halfway through folding up the clean clothes from the washing machine as well. I might still be working when they returned, but Mum knew I'd needed to wash some stuff after so many days of blazing sun. Maybe she'd be happy that I'd done it, and give me a little reward. I knew I should go back into the laundry room and finish with the folding and ironing, but I was exhausted now and my energy just evaporated. I stepped from the lounge into the hallway, and then leaned against the door for a second to get my breath back.

"...like she didn't have any friends there." That was Mum's voice, coming closer up the path. I could only guess from the sentence fragment, but I assumed she was talking about me. Tagging along to a barbecue with my sister's crush, all of her new friends, and many of their parents. There hadn't been any real reason for me to be there, save to give Mum an excuse to go so that she could take a little break from the household chores. I was sure she would appreciate it, but it sounded like she was worried about me as well.

"Oh, I know why Sally wanted to come," Lindy said with a little giggle. I didn't know what she was going to say; because I was sure she hadn't heard my earlier comments about her attraction to this Niall girl, and wouldn't even have thought about my excuses to get us all out of the house. She wouldn't tell the truth, would she? That was beyond belief, and there was no advantage to her. "I worked it out. But promise you won't tell her I said."

"Does she know someone in that neighbourhood? Somebody who could have been there? Because I know she's been a bit more energetic lately, and if I didn't know better..."

"Oh no. Nothing like that, unless you count Hugo. She finally got an excuse to spend time with him."

"But he wouldn't be all the way over in–"

"No. But Sally wanted an excuse to get us out of the house. So when I said Niall was having a party she was pushing me right out the door. Said she'd catch up with me in five minutes, like she's got something to hide. I bet you anything baby Sally had an accident again, and she thought if we're both out she might be able to change her diaper without telling you."

"Sally wouldn't–" Mum started, but she didn't sound as confident as I would have hoped. And I couldn't believe that Lindy would tell such an outrageous lie. What was she even thinking? I could hear them so clearly now; they'd stopped on the doorstep. Was this Lindy's attempt to delay Mum, making it less likely their arrival would take me by surprise? If it was, then she had to know that this wasn't the right approach. But she'd shifted the blame onto me preemptively, and if I made the same accusation it would seem like I was the one lying.

"You emptied the bins this morning, didn't you? So if there's a diaper in the bin in her room, you'll know she got changed after I left."

"She said she needed to change. Playing basketball is sweaty work, and she needed a shower. So I know there'll be one there."