Under a Crescent Moon

five

Katie breaks into my thoughts. 'Right, loser, let's hurry up and get you settled, because I want to go exploring.'

Mum booked a hotel for the weekend in town, so they could have a break from the driving before going back home again. 'A lovely little weekend break,' Mum said when she told me, her face shining with excitement.

Now, she claps her hands together and looks at me. 'Right, Dad and I will go back to the car and get the rest of your stuff. You and Katie can make a start with this.' She indicates the devastation on the floor between us.

I nod, pick up the handle of the nearest suitcase, and begin to drag it towards the last door at the end of the kitchen, which must be mine. Katie grabs a box and follows me, and I open the door.

The room is fairly small and rectangular in shape. A bed sits against the wall by the window, and there's a large desk and chair on the other side of the room, leaving a small strip of bare carpet in between. There's a lamp on the desk and a bin in the corner. Apart from that, the room is empty and bare.

'Well,' says Katie. 'We'll have to get your fairy lights up, for a start.'

I couldn't tell you why, but at that moment I suddenly experience a huge rush of affection towards my big sister. Maybe it was the fact that she actually seemed interested in what I was doing, she wasn't bitter and resentful that I got here first, she was willing to endure the seven hours and a missed weekend of work to put up my fairy lights with me.

I drop my bags and hug her.

She staggers slightly. 'What's this for?' she says, her voice muffled against my hair.

I release her. 'Just going to miss you. And thanks. For coming.'

She laughs. 'I couldn't let you go alone, could I? Come on, stop being all emotional. Have you seen the amount of boxes we've got to sort through?'

We sit down, side by side on the stark, bare carpet, rummaging through the boxes together, asking each other where things should go. She leans over and ruffles my hair as I untangle the string of fairy lights from the bottom of the box. 'I'll miss you too,' she says softly.

By the time we've started on the second box, Mum and Dad are back, having navigated their way through the labyrinth of corridors again, and the room looks a little bit more like a piece of home. My books are stacked neatly on the desk, the bed is made with my favourite duvet cover, patterned with blue flowers, and a number of my clothes are folded away into the storage units. Mum heaves a box on the bed with a sigh.

'You've done a good job, girls,' she says, looking around approvingly. 'I think you'll be alright here, May.'

I nod. 'You guys can go, if you want. I don't mind doing the rest.'

Mum looks stricken, and I can tell she was hoping this moment would never come.

'Are you sure?'

'There's not that much left to do. Just my kitchen stuff, really.'

'Oh, May,' Mum says, and her face crumples. I step forward and catch her as she slumps forward, her arms holding onto me for support, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. 'I'm sorry,' she hiccups, emerging a moment later. 'It's just a big day for us all. Both of you are adults now! You're not my little ones anymore.'

'Don't be stupid,' Katie and I chorus.

'I'll phone every week,' I promise. 'I'll even write letters if you want me to.'

Mum makes a noise that's half-sniff, half-laugh. 'Being silly,' she mutters, and steps back to fish a tissue out of her pocket.

I look towards my dad. He's standing in the doorway, hands in his old jean pockets, looking around the room with interest. When our eyes meet, he smiles at me, and I step forward to be engulfed by his big, strong arms, the way it's always been since I was little.