The Seven Steps to Closure Read Online Free PDF Page A

Birthday’ greeted me as I entered, and three of my eldest nieces welcomed me with a group hug. Lily, who is 4 years older than me, is like a copy of me that someone drew in different colours. We are the same height and build, but while I have brown eyes and hair, she has dark blonde hair and green eyes. I am jealous of the green eyes, but happier to have my olive skin over her strawberry and cream complexion. She just has to think about going outside to get sunburned.
    Lil is married to a wonderful man called Martin. They were childhood sweethearts who drifted apart and then ran into each other again at University.
    Quite literally.
    Lily, late for a class, was running down the library stairs, her arms full of books. She crashed straight into Martin. Books and bags flew everywhere and they ended up in a jumble of arms and legs on the ground. According to Lily they looked into each other’s eyes and,
‘bam, it was like a lightning bolt going straight through me’
.
    They’ve been together ever since and as I mentioned previously, are expecting their seventh child. Crazy, I know, but they just love children.
    All of Lily and Martin’s children are girls. I’m told it has something to do with Martin being a pilot. They don’t seem to have any secret yearnings for a son thankfully, because this one is a girl as well. Like Lily, all of their children are named after flowers. Initially I thought it was a bit poxy, but Martin always refers to them as his bouquet which is quite sweet. In descending order of age we have Rose, 12, Lotus, 11, Tulip, 9, Petunia, 7, Blossom, 5, Camellia 3, and they are calling number 7 Iris. I’d been all for Snapdragon but Lily had haughtily advised me that Snapdragon was not an acceptable name for a child.
    ‘Hi Mum,’ I said, watching her take a roast lamb out of the oven.  My stomach started to grumble in response to the aroma.
    ‘Hi baby.’ She took her oven mitts off and kissed me on the forehead.
    Lily pulled a wrapped present out of her bag and came over to give me a hug.
    ‘I want to give Aunty Tara her present,’ Rose said.
    Lily shrugged her shoulders and handed the present to Rose.
    ‘No, I want to,’ said Tulip.
    ‘I want to,’ chipped in Petunia and Blossom.
    The girls started to wrestle with my present in an attempt to gain control of it.
    ‘I hope it’s not breakable,’ I said to Lily, well aware of what was about to happen.
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said, easing her slightly enlarged body into a chair and settling in for the fight.
    Camellia, who was too short to reach and too young to understand what all the fuss was about, started crying and was quickly followed by Blossom – who didn’t have enough strength in her pudgy little hands to hold on.
    ‘Wahhhhhhh,’ wailed Camellia.
    ‘Boohoohoo,’ cried Blossom.
    Petunia landed a nice shin kick on Lotus who dropped to the ground and was out of the running. Tears welled in her eyes while she rubbed her shin, but she bravely managed to hold them back.
    Rose, Tulip and Petunia still had firm grips on the gift. Rose had the advantage of age and height, Tulip wasn’t far behind, but Petunia had – quite by necessity – become a very cunning and dirty fighter. With her spare hand she reached out and tugged on Rose’s dress. Rose was just starting to develop breasts and had unfortunately worn an elastic topped, strapless number, which responded to Petunia’s enthusiastic tugging by turning into a skirt. Rose screamed and ran crying from the rooms with her arms clutched over her chest.
    Mum handed me a glass of wine and took a seat for the final round.
    Tulip and Petunia circled each other like pro boxers in a ring. Tulip tried a lunge to the left but Petunia moved with her. Petunia tried to land a kick but Tulip, dancing like a ballerina, easily dodged the blow. I took a sip of my wine.
    ‘This is really good Mum,’ I said, holding the glass up to look at the wine.
    ‘Thanks,’ she said, ‘it’s