A flat for two? Not my cup of tea!
Ill put the lease in Mauds name and move in with you. Youre living alone anyway, declared Nora, without even asking.
Whose deepvoiced man is that you hear? Her tone was sharp, as if Ethel were thirteen, not thirtytwo.
Television, Mum. What do you want? Ethel tried to end the conversation quickly.
We need to talk. Seriously, her mother insisted, then hung up. Typical of hernotice everything, never ask.
Arthur! Ethel shouted, flinging the handset onto the settee.
Whats the matter? He emerged from the kitchen, two mugs of tea in hand.
My mothers coming this evening.
Should I stay?
No need. Ill handle it alone
**Ghosts of the Past**
Memories are like photographs in a dusty albumsome have faded, yet the essentials remain. Ethel was eleven when her parents split. Her sister Maud was still playing with dolls, while Ethel had already learned to read between the adult lines.
I cant go on, Harriet, her father had said. Its no longer a marriage, just a shadow of one.
And the children? Her mothers voice clinked like broken glass.
After the divorce, Father quietly packed his things. His favourite armchair, the chipped teacup, even his bookseverything disappeared, one by one.
Ethel became the bridge between two worlds: the stern mother and the calm father. Maud simply declared Father a traitor and Mother a martyr.
**Adult Life**
Ethel moved to London for university. She studied hard, worked harderdetermined to own a flat of her own one day. Maud took a few courses, became a nail technician, and married almost straight away.
Father passed away, leaving only warm recollections and a hollow space.
Mother only contacted her to demand money or to complain:
Mauds expecting, help her out. Thomas earns little, and the salon never treats her properly
Ethel sighed, weary.
She knew what she was getting into. It was her choice.
**Her Own Nest**
Years later, Ethel finally bought her dream flat. All on her own, with sweat and tears.
Lovely flat, her mother said, looking around. Something like this would do Maud well, instead of her cramped student house with the baby And you sit here alone in this palace. Thats not fair.
Because Maud always thought something was owed to her. Ive earned this.
Then, years later, came an unexpected visit:
Ive decidedMaud will get the flat, and Ill move in with you, her mother announced with a smile, scanning every corner.
No, Ethel replied curtly. Thats my flat.
What do you mean no? Ive already decided!
Then go live with Maud. This isnt a hotel.
Youre as cold as your father!
Thanks. He loved me, and he never set conditions.
The door slammed shut. Silence settled, along with a breath of relief.
A message blinked on her phone:
How did it go?
Ethel smiled and typed back:
Drop by. Ill show you how to make tiramisu.
