“So what are you going to do with it?” Cindy was staring at the cheque with wonder, then finally brought her eyes back up to meet Maddie’s.

Maddie herself sighed, she’d spent the last two days phoning around and researching, and she found that her mother’s mother had passed away five weeks earlier in a hospice near her home. That had led her to a lawyer in the same town who’d held her will. Her gran’s worldly possessions had been split in three equal shares to her mother, her sister and herself, the house had been sold to pay for her care when she had to move into a residential home, so her estate had been quite easy to divvy up. There was also a letter for her that her mother knew nothing about, and the man she’d spoken to at Carlson, Parker and Miller had promised to forward it to her as soon as possible.

                “I don’t know, I mean it’s an amazing amount of money, but then I’ve got a long life ahead of me hopefully. As much as I’d love to buy a car, have a holiday and maybe even put a deposit down on a house, I have to be sensible.”

Cindy nodded, “you do, but surely you deserve to treat yourself. When was the last time you went on holiday?”

Maddie laughed, “does three days in a caravan in Southend count three years ago?” When Cindy laughed she added “maybe I’ll go away for Christmas.”

Cindy sighed and squeezed her friend’s hand, she knew how hard that time of year was for Maddie, the last few years she’d worked and spent it alone, at least this year she could be somewhere nice. That was a huge thing for Maddie.

                “This does at least deserve a slight expense!” Maddie jumped up shaking Cindy from her thoughts, then pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge.

Cindy swooned, “my favourite!”

A day later Evan came back and he was equally as thrilled for Maddie, and whilst he didn’t know much about her family, he knew that she deserved this nest egg. The following evening he collected her in a cab to drive to Danny and Rachel’s house in middle class Suburbia.

                “So do many people cook for you?” she asked him as they settled into the car.

He laughed, “this is the first time in ages. Apparently it’s quite daunting for people, though I don’t know why!” When she rolled her eyes he smiled, “come on, I cook for other people for a living, I rarely cook for myself and it’s amazing having a meal prepared by someone else, whatever it is.”

                “Really? Beans on toast?”

He leaned close and smiled against her ear, “as long as it’s breakfast after me spending the night with you I’m happy.”

She was still blushing as the cab pulled up at the huge gated house that was home to Evan’s best friend. As he watched her greet Rachel and Danny so naturally he could barely believe that this woman could be so confident one moment, yet blush profusely almost in the same sentence. Following her in to the house he hoped he didn’t have to protect her in front of his friends.

                “Did you enjoy that?” Evan followed her into the back of their return taxi and they both slumped into the backseat replete after an evening of excess.

Maddie nodded, dropping her head against his shoulder, it had been a wonderful night, for the first time in her life she’d slotted into a group and be accepted as an equal. She’d been there as Evan’s partner, and his friends hadn’t flinched at that, she’d fitted in, that was the amazing thing. Rachel had taken her into the kitchen and found her wine; even though heavily pregnant she wasn’t drinking herself. The men were left alone to chat and Rachel whilst checking on dinner chatted openly to Maddie and soon she’d relaxed and shared stories and anecdotes as easily as the hostess.

The meal was amazing, perfect lamb, accompanied by red wine, and then tiramisu, her favourite dessert of all. Danny was charming, the perfect host, and Rachel mixed glamour and practicality so easily.

Looking up at Evan she smiled, “they are amazing, and the food was inspirational.”

He smiled back down at her, “best meal I’ve had in ages, and I thought the company was first class.”

                “So I didn’t lower the tone?”

He laughed, “anything but, I really had fun. We should do it more often.”

Maddie nodded, but Evan suddenly wondered if she was as happy as he thought.

And that sense of unease didn’t really leave. He knew she had money thanks to the cheque she’d received and she was happy in her job - she told him that daily, but there was something effecting her, and he could only assume that it came from the contact from her mother, her family, her past. The part of her that was a closed door, and the relaxing evening at Danny’s home was seeking like a distant memory.          

He tried his best to talk to her, to coax her feelings out of her, but she remained aloof whenever he hinted at her meeting his family, or mention of her own. He was desperate to take her home to meet his parents, but she refused that, “wasn’t he happy that she’d met his friends?”

It all came to a head when they were having food with her housemates, a celebration of her recent windfall. Maddie, she who never cooked was making beef stroganoff when he knocked the door with a case of wine, they were free samples he’d received that week, and he knew this bunch would be perfect wine critics.

She opened the door wearing her black dress, a rather gaudy floral apron over the top.

                “It’s a DISASTER!” She announced close to tears.

He had merely laughed, there was very little he didn’t feel confident of rescuing when it came to food. Seasoning it, adding chilli and a few other spices he swore were a secret recipe, he finally lifted a spoon for her to taste.

                “How do you do that?”

He laughed, sliding his arms around her waist, “the same way that you can run five restaurants from one office! This is my niche Maddie, and this meal will be perfect.”

And the food was. Conversation covered a broad amount of topics, from TV to the weather, to their neighbour’s new haircut, and they were all laughing as Maddie served dessert. It was then that Cindy announced that she was moving out, to live with her boyfriend, James. Evan could instantly feel the tension around the table mount, it was almost as though they had all been building to this moment, suddenly he knew this wasn’t going to work out. He knew the three of them had lived together for years, and that these two people were what constituted a family to Maddie. One of them moving on could never be taken that well.

                "That’s great news Cindy!" Maddie beamed and her smile seemed true and genuine. But Evan didn’t miss the darting glances between Steve and Cindy.

                "Well I think it’s a good time..."

Maddie still smiled, "well it really is great news. Though we’ll miss you here, won’t we Steve?"

Steve smiled awkwardly, "it’s been great living here all together, but there was always going to be a time when the family would break up." It was weak to his ears and Evan started to stare between the three.

Maddie spun around to look at Steve, "you speak as though it’s the end of a friendship. We can get another housemate, if not move to a smaller house or flat?"

He blushed, "well, I have been thinking about travelling, some mates are going abroad, Australia. Now seems like a good opportunity. You and Cindy are both kinda sorted.”

She looked desperately between her two friends. "Oh my God!” The penny dropped, “you’ve both been plotting this? Have you been waiting for the moment that Madeline gets a life? Have you been babysitting, waiting for me to find someone else to latch on to? Have I held you both back?"

                "Don’t be stupid Mads," Cindy was the first to respond. "James only asked me last week. And living here with you was never a chore! These have been the greatest years of my life, here with you."

                “She’s right," Steve added. "And no one’s mentioned travelling before; but it seems the last few weeks everyone wants to, it’s just a coincidence, honestly."

Evan looked at Maddie and saw the haunted look in her eyes, he reached out to take her hand, but she brushed him off. "Are you part of this too?" she snapped at him. "Are you just here to take over as nurse maid?"

                "Maddie! Don’t be ridiculous!" Cindy shouted back and Evan was shocked to hear the raised voices. "No one here is doing anything under hand. This is just one of those things!"

She shook her head in bewilderment, "I’m ridiculous? Yep that’s me! I’ve lived here for years thinking you wanted to be my friends, that you wanted to share a home with me. All that time you’ve been waiting until someone else comes along who fits the role as my next carer! I can’t believe it! What a bloody burden I’ve been all these years! Well go, all of you go! Don’t think that you have any obligation to me, and don’t think that you need to find someone else to take the responsibility of me! There was me thinking my family were horrendous! I must be the unluckiest person in the world to have all this happen to me again!"

Before anyone had a chance to react, she jumped up and ran out of the room.

                "Shit guys!" Evan looked at them both. "Talk about hitting her with both barrels!"

Cindy had started to cry and Steve looked stunned.

Evan sighed, "you’ve every right to have your own lives, that goes without saying, but there was a distinct lack of tact. Shit!" he exclaimed as he heard the front door slam and realised she’d gone.

Leaving the stunned friends, he headed out into the street, but there was no sign of her already. She was the master of running away, she could disappear in seconds, he was no match for that.

Jumping in his car he drove around the streets nearby, called in a couple of local pubs, to no avail. He couldn’t see her anywhere. Her phone was off, though he left a barrage of messages. He couldn’t settle, so he just kept driving, round and round in circles cursing the lack of tact that some people lived with.

Maddie had never been so glad to see a taxi as she was the moment she burst out of the house too numb to cry. As the cab door closed behind her, she felt as though her whole world was falling apart, and for the second time in the last two months she was catapulted back to the time years earlier when her own family had caused the same devastation.

She’d tolerated seeing Libby flaunting Jake at every opportunity, he was seen as quite the catch, and every Saturday she paraded around in the new clothes he’d bought her, talked about the restaurants they were about to visit. There were days when Maddie had never felt so low. She’d been through every emotion imaginable, and some even beyond that. She’d been left with a legacy of hate, distrust and bitterness.

During the summer that followed Maddie left for Spain, working her days and nights in a bar, ridiculous hours, but having fun and saving cash. But the day she came home she was greeted with the announcement of an engagement party, Libby and Jake of course. Whilst she had hardened her heart to all that had happened, the hysteria that accompanied this event was overbearing. She only had to wait a few more weeks until she headed for University, a time she hoped would signal the end of this torture. And it was. She moved away and lived her life, working hard and rarely came home.

During the summer of her first year Libby and Jake announced their wedding. After a much talked about build up, and with a heavy heart, Maddie had to head home for it. It was a huge event in a large hotel. Libby had five bridesmaids, none of which were her only sister, in what she knew was a deliberate snub.

Maddie arrived at the hotel as the wedding rehearsal finished. They’d booked a meal at the hotel, and she’d been told to make sure she attended as it was important. She was just checking in when the wedding party entered the foyer, all giggling and talking fresh from the church.

She smiled politely as her parents kissed her on the cheek, accepted a smile from her sister.
But she rapidly escaped to her room, her frustration and anger meant she struggled to unlock the door to the room, and then dropped her handbag as it clicked open, and the contents spilled all over the floor.

                "Looks like you need a hand!"

Maddie froze, she hadn’t been alone with Jake since the moment he’d let her walk home alone almost two years earlier.

Taking a deep breath she avoided looking at him, "I’m fine. Thanks!" She kept her head bowed and gathered the loose items. When she finally stood, stuffing all manner of things into her bag, he was leaning against the wall watching her. "What do you want Jake?"

                "Is that any way to treat your brother-in-law?" he gave a lazy smile that made her skin crawl.

She shook her head, "you’re nothing to do with me!"

Pushing the door she put down her bags, and turned to close it behind her, but he was there.

                "Please leave, I need to change!" She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away.

He shook his head, "no way!" Lifting his hand he touched her cheek and she flinched in repulsion. "I definitely picked the wrong sister!"

Incredulous, she looked up at him, her calm and control shattered, "THE WRONG SISTER? You had every opportunity to choose who you wanted. You chose Libby. And if you were the last man left on Earth I’d rather let civilization die out than go near you."

He laughed, stepping into the room behind her, "yeah right, my little stalker! You followed me around for years; it was only a question of time before I gave you what you wanted!"

She lashed out wanting to smack that look off his face, but he grabbed her hand intercepting it before she connected with his cheek, "you always were so much more feisty than Lib! God what a fool. But then, why not have the best of both worlds? You for fun, Libby for the kids, family and legacy."

Anger, hatred, and the guilt of the past all built up to overwhelm her, "you are sick, sick and twisted." Just get out!"

As she pushed him to the door, he grabbed her. She was trying to wrestle out of his arms when she sensed movement at the open door, when she glanced across, her parents stood there, mouths open wide in shock.

                "What’s going on? Madeleine?"

She gave him a final shove away from her, "Jake’s just leaving."

                "What’s he doing here? What are you both doing?" her father had his hands on his hips and was staring at them in disgust.

Jake flicked on the charm instantly, "Dave, you know how Maddie is; she’s tried this on so many times in the past. She called me upset, asked me come up here then pounced on me. I was just trying to escape."

Before Maddie had the chance to protest, her mother shook her head, "Madeline!"

                "That is not what happened mother!" she protested furiously.

Jake laughed loudly, then looked at her in disgust, "what do you think I came here wanting you? I’m marrying your sister; you’re a poor second place to her Maddie."

She stared up into his face, unable to believe the words, the smug attitude, the complete turn of attitude, "you think they believe that I want YOU?!"

His smug grin almost caused her head to explode, as she stepped towards him, her father stepped forward, "I think you should go and find you fiancée Jake, we’ll deal with this!"

As the door closed behind him, her father looked at her with disgust, "Libby kept telling us that you were chasing him. We always gave the benefit of the doubt. But this..."

Maddie felt as though she was drowning, that elusive breath was eluding her, and she wasn’t staying afloat, "Dad I didn’t come on to him. He followed me up here, he said..."

Her mother held up her hand, "Madeleine you’ve always been a liar, and always been jealous of your sister. This is lower than I ever imagined you’d go, but I have to say I’m not surprised!"

She turned to her mother, “really? You really don’t believe me?"

Her parents looked at each other for a moment, they turned to look at her, "Maybe it’s best if you don’t hang around for this wedding?" her mother suggested.

This was more that she could deal with; they were taking his word for things? Asking her to leave her sister’s wedding? "You are joking? I don’t want to be here, but you told me I had to be."

                "Well if you’re threatening the happiness....." her dad started.

She cut him off immediately, "Dad! I am fully aware that Libby’s happiness is far more
important than mine, it always has been."

                "You’ve always had jealousy issues. And that’s such a destructive thing, that’s why you should leave!" It was her mother’s turn to speak.

She looked between the faces of her parents repeatedly, "if I walk away now without you even listening to your daughter, then I’ll never come back. This will be it!"

Her parents headed to the door, "you’ll be back for summer, for rent, for money, for clothes. We know. We have our uses!"

She’d left that night, gone back to her university room. After days of staring at the walls, she managed to find a welfare counsellor who was frankly brilliant. She helped her to petition for an emancipation order, renegotiated her grant and guided her to benefits and bursaries that would help her. Maddie in turn had sucked it up and found a job in the same bar that she’d worked in until recently, a place that had become her second home. She’d not seen her parents or her sister from that day on, six years ago.

And in her desperate state of anxiety she headed to the only other place where she felt that she belonged, that very bar.