Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

She ran her fingers across the china, tracing the gold lines as they crossed the centre of the plate. Closing her eyes, she remembered the way they’d traced each other’s scars, fingers soft, words softer, as he whispered that sometimes being broken could make you stronger.

A screech from her left brought her attention back into the room, as the cat hared from the bedroom and into the kitchen, running as though she was being chased. She jumped onto the counter, bumping against Lucy’s arm as she rushed for the closed door.

It happened as though it were all in slow motion. Lucy lurched to the left at the impact, her hold on the plate precarious. Then her elbow banged against the worktop, pain shooting up her arm, as the plate crashed onto the wooden floor. Bending over, she grasped for the black china, fingers outstretched as it made impact with the ground. She watched as it broke into pieces, the splintering sound echoing through her kitchen, the sharp china gouging into the soft wood of her floorboards. Almost immediately she fell to her knees, her mouth falling open as she saw the broken plate lying there.

She could feel her chest hitch as she picked up the largest piece, running her finger along the jagged edge. It was sharp as a knife, almost cutting her, and the sensation brought tears to her eyes.

Or maybe it wasn’t the sensation. Maybe it was the realisation that she’d broken something beautiful all over again. In spite of the gold lacquer repairs, and the foam packaging, the plate was still fragile enough to fall apart at a single impact. As hard as she’d tried to protect it, just a simple fall was enough to make it shatter.

And as she held that piece in her hands, she felt the tears start to pour down her cheeks.

It had taken three days for them all to be available at the same time. By that point, Cesca and Sam were back in LA, and had invited Kitty and Adam over for lunch. Lucy couldn’t help but smile softly as the four of them huddled around the laptop, Adam towering above Kitty as she sat, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Sam was sat next to Cesca, his arm resting lightly on the back of her chair. It made Lucy’s heart ache in a good way to see her sisters so happy, so taken care of. It was everything she’d ever wanted for them.

But then she looked at the corner of the screen that showed Juliet. Like Lucy, she was alone. But unlike Lucy, she had a husband who should have been there, too. Taking care of her, holding her, telling her everything was going to be okay.

Damn Thomas. He was more absent than he was present.

‘Where’s Poppy?’ Kitty asked. Like Lucy, she’d noticed the emptiness in Juliet’s kitchen.

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‘She’s at a friend’s house for the afternoon,’ Juliet said quietly. ‘I thought it’d be for the best.’

The second of the four sisters, Juliet was by far the most classically beautiful. And yet even that wasn’t enough to cover up the shadows beneath her eyes, nor the pinched expression on her face.

‘Are you okay, honey?’ Lucy asked gently. ‘Is Thomas there?’

Juliet shook her head but said nothing. Lucy wasn’t sure whether she was answering the first or the second question – or perhaps both.

‘Yeah, you don’t look very well,’ Cesca piped in, her face a picture of concern. ‘Is there anything you need?’

Juliet licked her bottom lip. ‘I’m just tired, that’s all.’

That wasn’t all, but Lucy wasn’t sure whether now was the right time to get into it. She hated the way Juliet looked more beaten down every time they talked.

‘I’ll be okay,’ Juliet said, attempting a smile. ‘More importantly, how are you?’

‘Me?’ Lucy raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m fine, as always.’

‘Bullshit.’ Cesca coughed the words into her hands. ‘Come on, Lucy. You don’t have to be the strong one all the time.’ She turned to Kitty, who was sitting beside her. ‘Can you believe these two? They’re supposed to be older and wiser than us.’

Kitty grinned. ‘Well, they’re definitely older.’

‘Uh, do you want to shut up now?’ Lucy retorted, feeling a warmth flooding through her. There was something about having her sisters close – even if it was only on a screen – that made everything feel better. ‘You need to respect your elders.’

‘Not falling for that one again,’ Kitty replied, a smile still playing at her lips. ‘That was always your excuse for everything.’

‘How about you all hush up for a minute and let me talk?’ Lucy said. ‘I swear I can never get a word in edgeways with you lot.’

‘Must run in the family,’ Sam muttered.

‘I heard that,’ Lucy told him.

‘I think you were supposed to,’ Cesca said, grinning.

Lucy shook her head, smiling to herself. After the past few days it felt good to be surrounded by the ones she loved again. Even if seeing Sam hook his arm around Cesca’s shoulders made her feel wistful.

‘Look, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?’ Lucy asked. ‘Because there are a thousand better things I could be doing right now.’