^“To the right . . . no left . . . no a little more right,” Annie shouts as I stand on the ladder and attempt the get the damn sign in the right place. I give up and pin it to the wall before climbing down the ladder. The room is just inside the old castle Annie and her girlfriend have rented out for the wedding tomorrow. It’s all made of wood inside, with big, round tables, and we have spent hours getting the final touches done.

“Its fine, sorry, I’m just panicking about tomorrow,” Annie says and sits down on one of the white, stain-covered chairs. I walk over and sit in the chair next to her, pulling her into a side hug. She leans her head on my shoulder when I let go and looks around the room.

“Do you love Amanda?” I ask, thinking of the nurse my sister fell in love with five years ago. Annie never took a relationship seriously before Amanda, and I know the answer before she says it.

“Yes, more than anything,”

“Well, that’s all that’s important, not a sign or the number of flowers, or even the amazing dress I know you have. It’s only you and Amanda that are important tomorrow,” I tell her, and she sighs, pushing her dyed-blonde hair behind her shoulder and smiling at me.

“You’re right, as usual.” She laughs and stands up,

“I’m going to pick the kids up and say goodbye to our brother,” I say.

She nods as she replies. “Okay, I’m going to call Amanda and see how it’s going at the church.”

I walk out the doors of the old castle, and down towards my brother who is tying fairy lights around trees outside with the help of the staff. I wait as he finishes tying the final lights, by the looks of all the trees and climbs down the massive ladder. Todd lowers the ladder as he looks over at me.

“Everything alright?” he asks.

“Yeah, but I have to go and get the twins from school, so just saying bye. Tell Ellie I will see her tomorrow for the wedding,”

“Alright, I will. Can you believe our little sister is getting married?” Todd asks with a small smile at me. Todd is the best brother I could have asked for. Well, all my family is, including his long-term partner, Ellie. They help me out with the twins all the time when I have to go to work, and my boss is terrible with the hours he gives me.

“It’s shocking, but not so much when you see her and Amanda together. It’s clear they love each other,” I say, and he laughs.

“Yeah, I know. I wouldn’t let her marry anyone I didn’t trust, not after–” he stops speaking when he realises who he is speaking to. He means when he gave me away at my wedding to my ex-husband, who cheated on me and walked out, leaving me alone with his twins.

“Did you hear back from that job?” Todd asks, changing the subject, as I walk past him towards the car.

“Yes, I have an interview in two days.”

“The receptionist job for the new hotel in the village, right?” he asks me, and I nod. I hope I get the job as it’s not far from my house and the school. It would be perfect and pays far more than my crap bar job does. It’s also in school hours, so I wouldn’t need to keep asking for help. The twins are growing up, and I know it’s not going to be long until they are in high school, and I can trust them to walk home through the village.

“Say hello to the twins for me,” Todd says, and I wave before I get into my car. The damn thing takes a few tries before it turns on, and I drive out the castle driveway, and towards the school. The school is packed with cars when I get there, and I barely find a parking spot before getting out and waiting in the playground. When the bell rings a few moments later, the doors are opened by the teacher, and she waves me over.

“Can I have a word in a second? The twins are waiting with my teaching assistant,” the blonde teacher asks me, and I nod, waiting for all the other kids to be let out before she takes me into her classroom and closes the door.

“We have had an incident with fighting with Harry. I’ve asked both the children involved, and Daisy, who was nearby, and it’s about Harry’s father, I’m afraid. I believe the other students were winding him and Daisy up about their father not being around, so Harry started a fight,” she tells me, and my stomach sinks. Todd tried to talk to Harry about fighting as this keeps happening, but it’s clearly not worked. Every time I try to talk to him recently, he just ignores me.

“Is Harry alright?” I ask, moving towards the door.

“Yes, but the other child has a black eye. I’m afraid Harry is suspended for a week,” she tells me, crossing her arms.

“You can’t do that, I have a job interview, and no one to have Harry in the day,” I say, knowing there’s no way my brothers or sisters can have Harry as they are working too.

“I’m sorry, but he needs to learn his lesson,” she tells me. How is letting him off school a lesson? There’s no way he is going to see it like that.

“And, the other child? Is he suspended for what he said? It isn’t Harry’s or Daisy’s fault their father is a waste of space drunk and left,”

“No, we have spoken to him, and he will have detention for the week,” she says, giving me a sympathetic look.

“I’ve got to go,” I say and walk out of the classroom, opening the door to the other classroom, where I can hear Harry and Daisy talking loudly. They both stop when I walk into the room, and the teaching assistant looks up from her desk.

“Hey, mum!” Daisy says when I walk in and runs over to me. I smile and give her a hug, noticing how she is getting so tall. They are eleven in two months and the time has flown since they were babies.

“Harry?” I ask when he looks over at me, his brown hair is messy, and his lip is cut. I shake my head and walk out the door, holding it open until Harry follows me out with Daisy.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No,” Harry snaps, and I nod, not knowing what to say to him. Daisy gives me a worried look and pushes her curly, brown hair behind her ear. I will have to plan everything else after tomorrow, after the wedding.