Vega hurried over and said, ‘Excuse the grease, Lillian. I’m so glad you could come.’ He leaned in for a cheek-kiss, at the same time as Lillian went for one on the opposite cheek, so there was a little awkwardness because they almost kissed.
Mr Vega blushed and Lillian chuckled. They tried again, and got it right.
‘You made it!’ Rebecca said to Lillian. ‘I just had to meet the woman who was so inspired by Charles that she hired his design services.’
‘Thanks for inviting me.’ Lillian pulled a packet, wrapped in brown paper, out of her big black bag and handed it to Rebecca. ‘Charles saidthat you used to live in LA, so I thought these might remind you of home.’
Ivy was impressed that Lillian had brought a present. Rebecca opened it and Ivy peered over to see what it was. It was a little envelope with seeds labelled Ceanothus Joyce Coulter.
‘I know these!’ exclaimed Rebecca. ‘It’s that gorgeous blue mountain lilac. Native to California, right?’
Lillian nodded.
Rebecca smiled at Lillian. ‘We are going to be good friends, you and I. Now, where do you live in LA?’
The adults were all happy chatting and Bethany was occupying herself tearing up a loaf of bread and tossing it to the ducks, with Jackson and Brendan helping by stuffing chunks of bread in their own mouths. Ivy realised it was the perfect moment to talk to Olivia.
Ivy scooted around the table with her carrots and started chopping next to her sister. ‘So . . .’ she began, feeling a little nervous.
‘So?’ Olivia replied, pausing mid-slice.
‘I’ve wanted to talk to you about something, but the past week has been so manic.’ Ivy knew she should just come out with it, but she didn’t know if it would upset her sister.
‘OK,’ Olivia said, returning to her chopping.
‘You know
Eternal Sunset
?’ Ivy said.
Olivia beamed. ‘I am so, so excited. I have always loved those books and can’t believe I might have a chance to play Carmina!’
Ivy knew this meant the world to Olivia. ‘And then you know that there has to be a Belinda as well.’
‘Of course! Amy is trying to find out who it is.’ Olivia sliced away. ‘Although it will be weird to have a sister that isn’t you.’
Ivy cleared her throat.
‘Wait a minute,’ Olivia said. ‘What’s going on?’
Ivy smiled sheepishly. ‘It’s me.’
‘You!’ The knife clattered on to the plastic chopping board.
‘Harker totally loves you and thinks it’s a genius plan to surprise the whole world with me as your twin when he announces the movie,’ Ivy rushed out.
Olivia squealed and gave Ivy a huge hug. ‘We get to be twins on screen! Oh, it will be so much better having you
and
Jackson by my side. This is amazing.’
‘But, Olivia,’ Ivy protested. ‘I can’t act. I’m as wooden as a stake.’
‘Um . . .’ Olivia winced. Ivy didn’t even mind that she wasn’t disagreeing; she knew it was true.
‘I’m happy behind the camera,’ Ivy said, ‘butI’ll be the worst Belinda possible if Harker goes through with this.’
‘So, why haven’t you told Harker this?’ Olivia asked, confusion filling her big green eyes.
‘I tried, but he wouldn’t listen.’ Ivy sighed. ‘The truth is, if I’m not in the movie, then you won’t be either. Harker insists it’s the two of us or nothing.’
Olivia sucked in her breath. ‘So you’re doing this just for me.’
‘And there’s another catch,’ Ivy went on. ‘If the bunny press catch wind that you and I are twins and ruin Harker’s big announcement, he says he’ll call the whole thing off.’
Olivia stared at Ivy, her eyes brimming. ‘We don’t have to go through with this, you know. I don’t want to force you into doing something you’d hate.’
‘I want you to have your shot,’ Ivy said,determined, ‘but I also don’t want to humiliate myself or you if Harker sees me acting.’
All the sparkle had gone from her sister’s eyes.
‘We just need a plan.’ Ivy looked down at
Mr Vega blushed and Lillian chuckled. They tried again, and got it right.
‘You made it!’ Rebecca said to Lillian. ‘I just had to meet the woman who was so inspired by Charles that she hired his design services.’
‘Thanks for inviting me.’ Lillian pulled a packet, wrapped in brown paper, out of her big black bag and handed it to Rebecca. ‘Charles saidthat you used to live in LA, so I thought these might remind you of home.’
Ivy was impressed that Lillian had brought a present. Rebecca opened it and Ivy peered over to see what it was. It was a little envelope with seeds labelled Ceanothus Joyce Coulter.
‘I know these!’ exclaimed Rebecca. ‘It’s that gorgeous blue mountain lilac. Native to California, right?’
Lillian nodded.
Rebecca smiled at Lillian. ‘We are going to be good friends, you and I. Now, where do you live in LA?’
The adults were all happy chatting and Bethany was occupying herself tearing up a loaf of bread and tossing it to the ducks, with Jackson and Brendan helping by stuffing chunks of bread in their own mouths. Ivy realised it was the perfect moment to talk to Olivia.
Ivy scooted around the table with her carrots and started chopping next to her sister. ‘So . . .’ she began, feeling a little nervous.
‘So?’ Olivia replied, pausing mid-slice.
‘I’ve wanted to talk to you about something, but the past week has been so manic.’ Ivy knew she should just come out with it, but she didn’t know if it would upset her sister.
‘OK,’ Olivia said, returning to her chopping.
‘You know
Eternal Sunset
?’ Ivy said.
Olivia beamed. ‘I am so, so excited. I have always loved those books and can’t believe I might have a chance to play Carmina!’
Ivy knew this meant the world to Olivia. ‘And then you know that there has to be a Belinda as well.’
‘Of course! Amy is trying to find out who it is.’ Olivia sliced away. ‘Although it will be weird to have a sister that isn’t you.’
Ivy cleared her throat.
‘Wait a minute,’ Olivia said. ‘What’s going on?’
Ivy smiled sheepishly. ‘It’s me.’
‘You!’ The knife clattered on to the plastic chopping board.
‘Harker totally loves you and thinks it’s a genius plan to surprise the whole world with me as your twin when he announces the movie,’ Ivy rushed out.
Olivia squealed and gave Ivy a huge hug. ‘We get to be twins on screen! Oh, it will be so much better having you
and
Jackson by my side. This is amazing.’
‘But, Olivia,’ Ivy protested. ‘I can’t act. I’m as wooden as a stake.’
‘Um . . .’ Olivia winced. Ivy didn’t even mind that she wasn’t disagreeing; she knew it was true.
‘I’m happy behind the camera,’ Ivy said, ‘butI’ll be the worst Belinda possible if Harker goes through with this.’
‘So, why haven’t you told Harker this?’ Olivia asked, confusion filling her big green eyes.
‘I tried, but he wouldn’t listen.’ Ivy sighed. ‘The truth is, if I’m not in the movie, then you won’t be either. Harker insists it’s the two of us or nothing.’
Olivia sucked in her breath. ‘So you’re doing this just for me.’
‘And there’s another catch,’ Ivy went on. ‘If the bunny press catch wind that you and I are twins and ruin Harker’s big announcement, he says he’ll call the whole thing off.’
Olivia stared at Ivy, her eyes brimming. ‘We don’t have to go through with this, you know. I don’t want to force you into doing something you’d hate.’
‘I want you to have your shot,’ Ivy said,determined, ‘but I also don’t want to humiliate myself or you if Harker sees me acting.’
All the sparkle had gone from her sister’s eyes.
‘We just need a plan.’ Ivy looked down at
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