"Lily—ugh!"
She practically crashes into her mum who's leaving the living room at the exact moment that she makes it to the bottom of the stairs. She looks at Lily and then behind her where Petunia can still be heard grumbling—probably cursing Lily's name.
"I'll get her snacks, I promise," Lily says before her mother can start.
Mrs. Evans sighs. "Listen, I know she's being..." she trails off but sends Lily a look that is clearly meant to say "a crazy bitch" so Lily nods. "But she's just stressed, Vernon's sister is coming to the hen do and she wants to impress her."
"Sure mum, I get it," Lily doesn't point out that Petunia is always like this around her. Has been since she was eleven years old.
Her mum smiles a little sadly. "You're a good girl Lily."
She tries not to cringe. "Thanks mum, I—uh—I better...." she nods towards the telephone in the living room.
"Oh yeah, of course, go on."
Lily does. Enthusiastically. Not even bothering to ask who it is, any conversation is better than whatever was happening up in her bedroom.
"Hello?" she sings as she throws herself into the armchair by the phone.
"Jesus, where were you coming from? Alaska? We've been waiting on the line for ages."
Lily smiles at the sound of Mary's voice. "We?" she asks.
"Oh yeah, Mar's here, you're on speaker by the way, so if you have anything nasty to say about her it'll have to wait until later."
"Oh my God Mary," she can practically hear Marlene rolling her eyes over the phone. "Hey Lily, how's it going? How's home?"
She grimaces, glad they can't see. Lily does her best not to let it get to her, and by "it" she very much means her sister. With Petunia it's easier to pretend it's all a joke—the glaring and passive aggressive comments. Some ridiculous sketch on a comedy program. Better to laugh than to yell and fight.
"Hello? Earth to Lily?" Mary's voice crackles over the line.
Lily shakes herself awake. "Hi—sorry—um, home is fine."
Mary makes a skeptical scoffing noise. "Sister being a nightmare then?"
"Oh, Jesus Mary," Marlene hisses. "Don't make me muzzle you."
"Promises, promises."
Lily laughs, her free hand coming to her mouth to try and catch it. Laughter is an odd sound in this house, without her father. It's not that they're unhappy, not exactly. Or—Lily isn't. She's not so sure about her mum and sister.
"It is your sister though isn't it?" Mary pushes on, never one to demure.
"Yeah," Lily says.
"Full bridezilla?"
She snorts. "You could certainly say that."
"Have you got your bridesmaid dress yet?" Marlene asks.
"Yes," this time much more grudgingly.
"Oh no," Lily can already hear Mary laughing. "Just how horrible is it?"
"Well, it's dusty rose—"
"NO!" Lily has to pull the phone away from her ear. "No it isn't! She wouldn't! Oh and with your hair? Pink, Lily?"
"Yup," she says flatly, "with sleeves the size of my head and ruffles as far as the eye can see." Mary starts making fake retching noises in the background.
Chapter Eighteen
Start from the beginning
