Alice Next Door by Judi Curtin

sweet, Allie. Kiss his cute little nose for me, won’t you?’
    Alice made a face at me. ‘Sure, Dad.’
    ‘Thanks, love. Look, I’d better go. So I’ll seeyou next Friday, OK?’
    Alice gave a huge smile. ‘Yes, Dad, I’ll see you on Friday.’
    She clicked off the phone and continued. ‘….and by then, my life will be changing. For the better.’
    We gave each other another high five, and a big hug.
    Alice beamed. ‘Step two executed, and successful. We’re on our way.’

Chapter eleven
    I couldn’t relax properly that night until Mum had been in for the tucking-in scenario she loved so much. Actually, I usually loved it too – it made me feel all cosy and safe, like when I was a little girl. But this night was different. I just wanted it over and done with so Al and I could relax and settle down for our first night together.
    Alice lay on the floor next to my bed, and we conversed in whispers until, finally, there was a light tap on the door. Alice rolled expertly underthe bed, taking her sleeping bag with her.
    ‘Come in,’ I said, feeling a bit like one of the three little pigs inviting the big bad wolf into his house.
    Mum opened the door and came in. She sat on the edge of my bed. A bad sign. This wasn’t going to be a quick kiss and a pat on the head. This was going to be serious.
    She put her hand lightly on my shoulder. ‘ Feeling a bit better now?’
    ‘Mmmm.’
    ‘It’s hard, Alice being gone, isn’t it? You must miss her an awful lot.’
    ‘Mmmmm.’ I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Whatever would my mum have said if she knew that Alice was lying only a few inches away from her, inhaling the dust from under my bed, and listening to every word Mum said?
    Mum kind of rustled her behind, as if she was settling in.
    ‘You know, Megan, something a bit like thishappened me when I was your age.’
    I tried not to look bored. Either my mum was a dreadful liar, or everything that ever happened to me seemed to have happened to her at some stage too.
    Mum put on her dreamy kind of voice. ‘And guess what?’
    I spoke in a sing-song voice. ‘I bet it all turned out for the best in the end.’
    Mum looked a bit hurt, so I had to add, ‘I know, Mum. Thanks for trying to help.’
    She smiled and patted my shoulder. ‘That’s OK. You know we can always talk, don’t you?’
    She got up to go. At the same awful moment, our eyes fell on a red sweatshirt that was neatly folded on the end of my bed. Mum picked it up, and shook it out.
    ‘What’s this? Isn’t this Alice’s?’
    I tried to sound casual. ‘Oh yes. We swapped. I gave her my….’ I racked my brains trying to think of a jumper that wasn’t in the ironingbasket, or in the dirty washing pile. Mum always knew where everything was, and I didn’t want to be caught out. ‘… my…. I gave her my blue and white striped one. Just for a loan. Until she comes down again. You don’t mind, do you?’
    Mum shook her head. ‘No, darling, I don’t mind. Not if it makes you feel better. Goodnight, darling.’
    ‘Night, Mum.’
    I thought she’d go then, but she didn’t. She came and sat down on the bed again. ‘Remember when you were very small?’
    I didn’t remember much about when I was very small, but sometimes it seemed like Mum remembered every tiny detail. And she loved to talk about it. At length.
    She continued. ‘Remember how you used to make me check under your bed every night, in case there was a monster under there?’
    Oh no! Why had she suddenly brought that up? Surely she didn’t suspect something? AndMum was big on nostalgia. Was she suddenly going to try to relive old times by checking under the bed? Was this the end of everything?
    I put on the most bored voice I could manage. ‘That was really stupid, wasn’t it?’
    She smiled. ‘Well, it wasn’t so stupid back then. But you’re a big girl now, aren’t you?’
    I smiled back. ‘Yes, Mum. Much too big for monsters under the bed.’
    She patted my