The Seven Steps to Closure Read Online Free PDF

Giesen.’
    We both winced as Tulip risked her hold to pinch Petunia under her right arm. Petunia squealed but responded by tightening her grasp.
    ‘Where’s Giesen from?’
    ‘New Zealand – Marlborough region.’
    ‘Ahh, no wonder I like it so much.’
    Just at that moment Petunia faked a look of horror and peered above Tulip’s head.
    ‘Spider!’ she squawked, very riskily letting go with one hand to point at the ceiling.
    This tactic may not normally have worked, but the last time the girls had stayed with their grandparents they had been playing hide and seek in the garden and poor Tulip had ended up with a huge huntsman spider on her head. She had come very close to knocking herself out cold with a shovel.
    Tulip let out a huge ‘Aieeeeeee’, and releasing the gift, launched herself sideways through the air into an impressive commando roll. She bounced back onto her feet and starting searching her hair for the spider.
    Lily, Mum and I laughed, watching Petunia do her victory dance.
    ‘Oh yeah, oh yeah,’ she chanted, while waving the present in the air.
    Tulip, realising she had been tricked, kicked the carpet and went over to shake hands with Petunia.
    ‘Nice play,’ she said grudgingly.
    Martin and Dad had arrived for the last half of the battle and both applauded Petunia’s efforts. She bowed in their direction and then deposited the present in my lap.
    As I was opening it there was a knock at the front door.
    ‘That’ll be Aunt Esme,’ Mum called out to Dad.
    ‘Aunt Esme?’ I asked in horror.
    Mum looked sheepish. ‘Sorry love,’ she said, ‘I accidentally mentioned your birthday when I was on the phone last week. Of course she insisted she come.’
    I sighed, resisting the urge to sulk. Aunt Esme was Mum’s Aunt. A tall, elegant lady with an acrid tongue, she had never gained my vote for favourite relative of the year. She loved Tash of course – but Lil and I? Well I guess she loved us in her own weird little way.
    Aunt Esme developed a heart condition a few years ago, which she is not scared to use to her advantage. If something isn’t going her way she’ll clutch her chest, roll her eyes back in her head and start moaning. Two years ago, sick of her demeaning attitude towards us, Lil and I had decided to test our theory that the heart condition was non-existent. Unfortunately we had underestimated her acting skills and her competitive nature. Consequently the whole family spent Christmas Eve at the Gosford Emergency Ward, waiting to hear if we had killed her. We still think it’s all bluff, but as the wily old bat is prepared to go the whole hog to get her way, we have to concede every point.
    It was during lunch that the topic I had been dreading was raised.
    ‘So,’ said Aunt Esme, watching me carefully, ‘Jackie tells me that Natasha and Jake are engaged.’
    ‘Yes,’ I said, trying to keep the expression on my face neutral, ‘so I’ve heard.’
    ‘What?’ said Lily in outrage. ‘You’re not even divorced yet.’
    ‘Well,’ I replied, managing with super human effort to maintain a level voice pitch, ‘in all fairness to Jake, you have to be separated for a year before you can file for divorce. Oh wait,’ I said, ‘it’s been a year now, so I guess I’ll be getting a surprise sometime this week.’ I let out a little laugh, aiming for a casual devil-may-care affect. I sounded instead a little like a chicken being strangled.
    ‘Well,’ said Mum, ‘the sooner you get him out of your life completely the better. Mind you if he becomes Lord Mayor none of us will be able to get him out of our lives.’
    ‘Hmmmm,’ I said nonchalantly, as I shoved a huge piece of potato into my mouth followed by an even larger piece of lamb and proceeded to chew noisily. My gross tactic appeared to work and Aunt Esme, who can’t abide noisy eaters, was momentarily distracted.
    ‘Really Tara,’ she admonished, ‘you’d think you hadn’t eaten for a week.’
    I gulped loudly and