BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (84)
  1. Chapter one
  2. Chapter two
  3. Chapter three
  4. Chapter four
  5. Chapter five
  6. Chapter six
  7. Chapter seven
  8. Chapter eight
  9. Chapter nine
  10. Chapter ten
  11. Chapter eleven
  12. Chapter twelve
  13. Chapter thirteen
  14. Chapter fourteen
  15. Chapter fifteen
  16. Chapter sixteen
  17. Chapter seventeen
  18. Chapter eighteen
  19. Chapter nineteen
  20. Chapter twenty
  21. Chapter twenty-one
  22. Chapter twenty-two
  23. Chapter twenty-three
  24. Chapter twenty-four
  25. Chapter twenty-five
  26. Chapter twenty-six
  27. Chapter twenty-seven
  28. Chapter twenty-eight
  29. Chapter twenty-nine
  30. Chapter thirty
  31. Chapter thirty-one
  32. Chapter thirty-two
  33. Chapter thirty-three
  34. Chapter thirty-four
  35. Chapter thirty-five
  36. Chapter thirty-six
  37. Chapter thirty-seven
  38. Chapter thirty-eight
  39. Chapter thirty-nine
  40. Chapter forty
  41. Chapter forty-one
  42. Chapter forty-two
  43. Chapter forty-three
  44. Chapter forty-four
  45. Chapter forty-five
  46. Chapter forty-six
  47. Chapter forty-seven
  48. Chapter forty-eight
  49. Chapter forty-nine
  50. Chapter fifty
  51. Chapter fifty-one
  52. Chapter fifty-two
  53. Chapter fifty-three
  54. Chapter fifty-four
  55. Chapter fifty-five
  56. Chapter fifty-six
  57. Chapter fifty-seven
  58. Chapter fifty-eight
  59. Chapter fifty-nine
  60. Chapter sixty
  61. Chapter sixty-one
  62. Chapter sixty-two
  63. Chapter sixty-three
  64. Chapter sixty-four
  65. Chapter sixty-five
  66. Chapter sixty-six
  67. Chapter sixty-seven
  68. Chapter sixty-eight
  69. Chapter sixty-nine
  70. Chapter seventy
  71. Chapter seventy-one
  72. Chapter seventy-two
  73. Chapter seventy-three
  74. Chapter seventy-four
  75. Chapter seventy-five
  76. Chapter seventy-six
  77. Chapter seventy-seven
  78. Chapter seventy-eight
  79. Chapter seventy-nine
  80. Chapter eighty
  81. Chapter eighty-one
  82. Chapter eighty-two
  83. Chapter eighty-three
  84. Chapter eighty-four

I rush on. ‘And then they rang me up when I got home and said I could have a sabbatical—fully paid—as it was obvious that I was under extreme stress. I think Monica told them I was planning to sue them for constructive dismissal or sex discrimination or something. I wasn’t, but it means my job will be sitting waiting for me when I come back. On whichever magazine I choose.’ Personally, I think that’s a bit of a result.

‘Is this really my perfect, sensible sister speaking?’ My sibling is suitably gobsmacked. ‘You quit your job to go and yomp up a hill or two?’

I shrug. ‘Perhaps my perfect and sensible days are coming to an end.’ And perhaps Jake will love me again if I’m an Action Woman who no longer has a toddler fixation.

My sister scratches her head. ‘Exactly how long are you planning to go for?’

‘A month,’ I say. ‘Just a month.’

‘A month.’ I’m sure I can see fear in Edie’s face. ‘In a tent? Bloody hell. Rather you than me.’

I slump against the counter. My knees are all wobbly-fied. My shoulders are aching a bit from my rucksack too. ‘Do you really think I’m mad?’

‘Quite,’ my sister says. She comes and puts her arms around me. ‘But I love you for it. And I love you for trying. I’m not sure that I’d have the guts to do it.’

‘I’m not sure I have.’

‘At least you’re giving it a go,’ my baby sister says. ‘You’ll be fine. Just don’t talk to any strange yaks.’

We both laugh, but I know that my laughter sounds just that little bit nervous.

Edie waves her empty glass at me. ‘We should open some champagne. Toast your new idiocy…sorry…independence.’

‘We have got a bottle on ice.’ Edie and I exchange a glance at the ‘we’. It was the one I put in the fridge on the day that Jake walked out. Seems rather ironic really.

‘Crack it open then,’ she insists.

I do and as I pour the creamy bubbles into our glasses, I say, ‘This is nice. It does feel like a celebration.’

‘It feels to me like something that will piss a couple of people off no end,’ Edie counters. ‘I’m not sure who I’d be more worried about telling,’ she says. ‘Jake, or Mum.’

And suddenly that feels more disconcerting than conquering any Himalayan foothill.

Chapter twenty-three

Chapter twenty-three