[Sundae]

My sister is a stranger to me, to be honest.
My most frequent dreams involve conflict with my Mum and my sister, sometimes ending in violence (against Laura, never against Mum!)
Except when I wake up I realise I was the one in the wrong...

But hey - I love my brother and we can talk and do things together.

I just wish he'd had children rather than my sister.
I have a niece and nephew I have no real love for.
They're good kids, but we live in the same town and I see them two or three times a year. Mum sees them more, but as she says, Nanny and Grandad saw us more often and they lived in London.

And no, you do not just drop by my sister's house.
She or her husband will stand at the door and make it clear you are not welcome.
Although she uses her own key to drop in on us on the few occasions she wants to...

And good luck getting an "appointment".
Although in this, Laura is the same as Mum.
She thinks she had an open house when we were growing up.
Oh nonononono...

I've grown up the same - VERY private.
Well, a lot of that has been about mental health issues.
When things were bad my house looked like the Council Tip.
Dana knows.

Anyway.
Things are calm here now.
Notice posted in local paper (£100! blimey), flowers ordered, funeral date set 14/11/11.
I'll do whatever I can to make Mum's day the best it can possibly be.
She'll spit fury at Dad at some point. I will ignore it (as will he).
I will be practical and sensible and have a stiff upper lip.
I will make sandwiches and cook chipolatas and pizza slices and all that.

I'll have Steven beside me.