Kim felt an instant airiness at the open plan, uncluttered area that looked out onto a rolling lawn that led towards open fields beyond.
‘Not bad, is it?’ Rachel asked, following her gaze.
A single chair was placed in the far-right corner of the space.
‘For the sunset,’ Rachel explained.
Kim hadn’t really had Rachel pegged as a sunset kind of girl.
‘Ask away,’ she said, resting against the granite work surface. She hadn’t even bothered to put the kettle on.
Kim had followed her for one single reason, but there were other things she wanted to know first.
‘You and Zach. You’re twins?’
Rachel frowned. ‘Is that relevant?’
‘There seems to be a lot of animosity between you.’
She shrugged. ‘We have our moments. Shit started quite young for us, but you don’t want to hear—’
‘Yes, I do,’ Kim said. Rarely had she met twins so far apart. Her own experience of being a twin couldn’t have been more different.
Mikey had been the other half of her, the better half, the softer, sweeter part. Even now she missed him every day. The picture of her mother lying on a bed tore into her mind again. She pushed it away. Patty wasn’t allowed to come to work with her.
‘I don’t even know how to explain it. We were close when we were small, but as we grew older, we began to blame each other for our mother’s lack of attentiveness. That sounds awful, doesn’t it? On the face of it we had a great childhood. We weren’t spoiled but we didn’t have to worry. We knew we were loved, but there was something missing from our mother, and I think we blamed each other for that.’
‘Missing?’ Kim queried.
‘Yeah. It’s like we knew she loved us, but it never felt all-encompassing. Do you have children?’
Kim shook her head.
‘From the second I had Mia, my whole life perspective changed. I’d grown fond of her while I was growing her, but nothing prepared me for that breathtaking realisation that I would give up my life to stop anyone hurting a hair on her head. I hold her, I kiss her head and tell her how much I love her every chance I get. Her well-being and happiness consumes me. There’s a fire. Do you ever hug people?’
Kim shook her head.
‘Jeez, you’re a tricky one to explain to.’
‘I have a dog.’
‘You love him?’
‘Oh yeah.’
‘When you see him after a long day at work, what do you do?’
Kim felt the longing to see her buddy. ‘I get down on the floor, pet him and then give him a big squeeze.’
‘Why the squeeze?’
‘Dunno. Just happy to see him, excited.’
‘From our mother, we never had the squeeze if you know what I mean. We had ninety per cent of her, which is better than what a lot of kids get, but it’s almost like we were nieces and nephews. She loved us but at a slight distance.’
Kim appreciated the loyalty to her mum but also heard the sadness behind her words.
‘It was much later that Zach and I learned that she had become ill while pregnant with us. I think we began to blame each other so the odds were stacked against us before…’