Page 138 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘I’ve been thinking about how to earn a living and I’ve got an idea,’ said Skye.

‘Yay!’ Clare grinned at her. ‘Come on then, spill the beans.’

‘I’m still in the planning stage,’ Skye confessed. ‘But Marta knows and she thinks it’s a good idea.’

Clare pretended to be insulted. ‘One month as your confidante and I’ve already been usurped.’

‘Not going to happen,’ said Marta. ‘All I hear is Clare this, Clare that.’

‘Funny that,’ Clare waggled a teasing eyebrow at her sister. ‘All I hear about is you.’

‘Stop ganging up on me,’ Skye groaned. ‘I need both of you.’

Marta pulled her in for a hug. ‘I’m glad to hear it, but sisters are special.’

‘Agreed.’ Clare held up her glass. ‘To sisterhood.’

‘Sisterhood.’ Skye and Marta chinked their glasses to hers.

‘Come on, what’s your idea?’ Clare tried again.

Skye’s eyes sparkled. ‘Yoga Brunch. Basically, Marta and I will join forces to do joint events. A yoga class followed by a delicious nutritious brunch.’

Clare raised her eyebrows. ‘That might even tempt me into lotus position.’

Marta laughed. ‘I get clients asking all the time if I’ll do refreshments, especially in the studio in the winter. I think people enjoy the connection and want the class to go on longer.’

‘I’ll keep the food simple,’ said Skye, cheeks pink with excitement. ‘And Liz is going to help me with the menus to start with, and lend me her equipment.’

‘So, basically, I’m the last to know.’ Clare pretended to be offended. ‘Well, I think it’s a great idea and I think you’ll make a brilliant success of it.’

‘See?’ Marta kissed Skye’s cheek. ‘You needn’t have been worried about telling her.’

‘True,’ Skye grinned. ‘She’s not as scary these days.’

‘Oi!’ Clare laughed.

‘Girls? Look who I found loitering on the doorstep,’ Liz called them from inside. ‘Come in, come in!’

‘Oh my God.’ Clare stiffened, a pulse beating urgently at her throat. ‘I daren’t look, is it Adam? Please say it is.’

Skye turned towards the doors and where Liz’s voice was coming from. ‘No. I’m sorry. It’s Dad.’

‘Dad?’ Disappointment hit her like a blow to the stomach. Today was an almost perfect day; the only thing she’d needed was for Adam to come through for her. To act on that letter she’d written on Ivy’s behalf. What she didn’t need was her dad turning up uninvited and rubbing her, Liz and Skye up the wrong way like he had the last time he was here.

Clare set her glass down and marched inside to where he was waiting in the kitchen; he was rocking on the balls of his feet, hands in pockets.

Mike took one look at her and held his hands up. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not staying. But I wanted Ivy to have a present on her birthday.’

He pointed to a stuffed toy on the kitchen island: a pug dog with wings and a unicorn horn. Not even wrapped.

Clare couldn’t help but let out a derisory snort. ‘OK. Well, thank you.’

‘And this.’ He pulled a small envelope out of the breast pocket of his shirt.

‘Thanks.’ Clare set it beside the unicorn pug to open later.

‘Can I get you a drink, Mike?’ said Liz, hovering in the background.