She laughed under her breath, but he heard her.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘Oh, nothing.’ She shook her head in amazement. Her life had fallen apart a few months ago when her mum died, and now here she was in love with someone. She’d never thought a relationship would come her way.
‘You’re getting soppy on me again, aren’t you?’ he teased.
‘No!’
‘Good, because I thought we could take advantage of the house being empty.’ He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.
‘It’s the middle of the day, Mr P,’ Hannah admonished but pulled him into her arms.
‘It’s never stopped you before now.’ Doug nuzzled her neck, making her go weak at the knees. But a quick flash of yellow caught her eye. She froze when she looked out of the window.
‘What’s the matter?’ Doug drew away, a concerned look on his face.
‘Two people are sitting on the doorstep of my house.’
Doug turned to look and they both moved closer for a better view. There was a woman and a girl, a large suitcase and several bags at their feet.
‘She looks familiar.’ Doug peered a little harder. ‘Do you know who it is?’
Hannah nodded, her face drained of all colour. ‘It’s Livvy.’
‘As in your sister?’
Hannah couldn’t speak, so she nodded instead. Livvy had walked out of Hope Street when she’d been eighteen and hadn’t been back since. Their parents had been involved in a car accident. Dad hadn’t survived and Mum had been left with severe mobility problems. Even though Livvy had been sixteen at the time, both sisters had looked after Martha together for two years. But then Livvy upped and left and had never come home until now.
At first there had been cards – birthdays, Christmas, the occasional Mother’s Day. But for the past two years, there hadn’t even been that. Hannah had worried that something had happened to Livvy and that she would never find out. So seeing her today was a real shock, an emotional rollercoaster.
Part of her wanted to know everything that had happened. The other part wanted to scream and shout at Livvy for betraying her, leaving her to look after Martha alone, giving up her life to be a sole carer when she should have shared the burden.
She brushed away her selfish thoughts and looked up at Doug.
‘I…I…’
As they watched, the woman stood up and helped the girl to her feet. She picked up a bag and the suitcase and they began to walk away.
Hannah ran to the door. ‘Livvy!’ she shouted.
The woman turned to her. Their eyes locked as Hannah ran across the cobbles. She stopped short in front of her.
‘Hi,’ she said eventually, after staring at her sister. Gone was the long dark brown hair, replaced by a short choppy style that suited Livvy’s face. She wore several studded earrings in each ear, skinny jeans, and a thin blue jumper over a white T-shirt underneath a thin parka coat. Bright yellow Converse trainers finished off the look.
The girl beside her reminded Hannah so much of Livvy when she’d been a teenager that she almost took her breath away. Her hair was the same colouring but long below her shoulders with a heavy fringe. She had the Lockley blue eyes; their button nose, and even in ballet pumps she was taller than both of them.
It was like looking at a mirror image of herself when she was a teenager too. Tears welled in her eyes.
‘Hi,’ Livvy replied.
They stood for a moment. Then Livvy dropped her bags and flew into Hannah’s outstretched arms.
Chapter Three
Livvy was a bit shocked by such a warm welcome, but she wasn’t going to admit to it. She was just grateful that Hannah hadn’t shouted her down and sent them away before she had a chance to explain.
After they broke apart, things became awkward. The noise from the high street infiltrated the uncomfortable silence. Cars passing by, beeps from the pelican crossing and a shout from a man working on a house further down.
Livvy stared at her sister. Hannah was just as Livvy remembered. Small and petite, her hair still long and dark. She was skinny; it was a trait they shared. It made her realise they were still exactly the same, and had her hair not been short now, she knew people might mistake them for each other.
The man standing next to Hannah was older than her, she guessed by a good few years, but he was distinguished for his age. His eyes smiled long before his lips, and he had a warm feel to him without him even touching her. She wondered if they were married; if so, she hoped they’d made a better job of it than she had.
Livvy had so many questions. Why had Hannah come out from number thirty-five? Didn’t she live at number thirty-four anymore? And who was the dishy bloke waiting to be introduced? Did they have any children? A dog? A rabbit?
A gulp caught in her throat as Livvy realised a thousand thoughts must be running through Hannah’s mind too. Why had Livvy run away? Why hadn’t she been back since? Did she know Mum had died? What was her daughter’s name?
‘Hi,’ Pip said, thrusting out her hand. ‘I’m Pip. You’re Hannah, aren’t you? My auntie.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ Hannah stepped forward to shake it. ‘It’s lovely to meet you. This is Doug,’ she introduced.
‘Hi.’ He smiled at her before looking at Livvy. ‘You’re almost a double of your sister.’
Livvy gave a half-smile, stepping forward to shake his hand. It was all a bit formal for her: trust Pip to be the grown-up as usual.
‘Let’s grab a coffee.’ Doug indicated across the road. ‘Come on over. You can leave your belongings somewhere safe.’
As they trooped across the road, Livvy glanced up and down, wondering how long it would be before word got out that she was back. She couldn’t wait to find out who was still living in Hope Street – not. It was bad enough that she’d had to come here. And how could she tell Hannah that it was a last resort to return because she needed her help?
Livvy stepped inside the house after Hannah and Doug, noticing the look of astonishment passing between them.
‘I’ll make drinks,’ Doug offered. ‘Pip, would you like to help?’
Pip shrugged but followed his disappearing form.
The room they were in was airy, although in utter chaos due to it being decorated. The two rooms downstairs had been knocked through into one enormous bright space, the kitchen entered from a door in the far corner, next to French windows out into the yard. Nearer to, the settee had been pushed against the wall, numerous items piled up on top of it and the walls and fire surround were bare.
‘Sorry it’s such a mess in here.’ Hannah flapped a hand around by means of an apology. ‘We’re in the middle of decorating. I’d offer you a seat, but I’m not sure I can find more than one at the moment.’
Livvy looked at the settee. The curtains she assumed were from the window were draped across half of it. There was room enough for two, but they would have been awkwardly close to each other.
When Hannah stared directly at Livvy, waiting for her to speak, it made her feel uncomfortable.
‘I had nowhere else to go,’ she muttered, red flooding her cheeks.
‘That’s nice to know,’ Hannah replied.