Read Online Broken by Ilsa Evans - Free Book Online

she kept the celebratory theme going with a picnic in the lounge-room. While the two children showered after swimming, Mattie laid out the Onkaparinga blanket across the carpet for them to sit around cross-legged for dinner. Crumbed chicken pieces, thick gravy, oven-fried chips and corn on the cob. They pretended they were outside, with flies landing on the food and the sun beating down so fiercely they had to shade their eyes. At one stage Mattie made out that she had swallowed a fly, gagging and clutching her throat and finally collapsing theatrically. Even Max laughed out loud.
    Then, after the picnic was cleaned up, she brought out the Scrabble things and set them up on the coffee table. All three of them were dressed in winter flannelette pyjamas, with Mattie sitting on the couch, Courtney leaning against her mother’s legs and Max stretched out across the beanbag on the floor. And, with a skill born of long practice, Mattie managed to compartmentalise everything unpleasant. Like this afternoon’s altercation with Jake and, later, Hannah’s tight, disapproving face as she signed her sister’s Centrelink forms. So both became just the faintest of sour tastes that didn’t prevent her from creating a lovely evening – cosy and relaxed and compensatory.
    â€˜Well, Mummy? D’you think he is?’ Courtney twisted herself around, tucking her still damp hair behind her ears as she regarded her mother quizzically.
    â€˜No way’ Mattie made herself smile. ‘In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s having a lovely time enjoying the peace and quiet. It’ll be like a little holiday.’
    â€˜You think?’
    â€˜Definitely.’ Mattie glanced across at Max, who was rearranging his letters carefully. ‘Don’t you agree, honey?’
    â€˜About what?’
    â€˜About your father. Don’t you think he’ll be enjoying the peace and quiet?’
    â€˜S’ pose.’
    â€˜He
said
he’d miss us.’ Courtney sounded unconvinced by her mother’s argument. ‘He said the house was too big for just him.’
    Max sat up in the beanbag, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them as he looked at the other two. ‘Dad said the echoes would drive him nuts.’
    â€˜If you didn’t first,’ added Courtney, glancing sidelong at her mother.
    â€˜Me?’ Mattie stared from one child to the other, astounded. ‘He actually said that? That I was driving him nuts?’
    â€˜Yep.’ Courtney regarded her mother attentively, watching for a reaction. ‘He said you’re the reason his hair’s all falling out. And that you made him cross.’
    â€˜No he didn’t.’ Max looked at his sister impatiently. ‘He was onlyjoking about the hair. And he said she
was
his cross, not that she
made
him cross.’
    â€˜His cross?’ repeated Mattie, even more stunned. His
cross?
    â€˜Like Jesus,’ explained Max, digging his fingernails into his knees and examining the crescent-shaped moons left behind in the flannelette of his pyjamas.
    Courtney frowned. ‘I don’t get it.’
    â€˜You don’t have to,’ Mattie snapped and then, as both children looked at her with surprise, took a few deep breaths. She reached forward and wrapped an arm around Courtney, giving her a brief squeeze. ‘Sorry, honey I didn’t mean to take it out on you. It’s just that . . . well, I’m surprised Daddy said that. And a bit hurt. Because, see – years ago, back when you were both really little, we made an agreement that we’d never criticise each other in front of you guys. That we’d be a team. And if we had something to say we’d say it to each other.’
    â€˜Some team,’ muttered Max as he stared down at his knees again.
    â€˜And Daddy says you don’t listen anyway,’ interjected Courtney, playing with her mother’s gold link