PENTIMENTO

A short story by Carole Hailey

- Carole Hailey

Rosie slurps her coffee loudly but when Sophie says, 'Do you have to?' her sister looks at her blankly, as if she hasn't been told countless times before how annoying Sophie finds this sound.

The room has the feeling of a boutique hotel with its parquet floor, jewel-coloured sofas - Rosie's sitting on the ruby one, Sophie's on the emerald - and the expensive coffee machine that Rosie makes immediate use of. Sophie tries to distract herself by looking at the art on the walls but the pictures look like something her toddler brings home from nursery.

Rosie finishes her drink with a final slurp.

'Do you think they'll make us wait much longer?'

Sophie doesn't answer. How should she know? She's never been here before. Her sister stands and starts pacing around the room. Although they haven't seen each other in weeks, they've turned up here dressed like twins, which they're not. They always look as if they've deliberately coordinated their outfits, which they never do.

Today, it's beige linen trousers and a white shirt. They're even wearing matching earrings. When Rosie was shown into the room - late as usual - she looked at Sophie, then down at herself, and giggled. Sophie can't remember when she stopped finding her sister's laugh infectious - when they were younger their parents were forever telling them off for giggling at things no one else found funny - but she's in no mood for it today.

She finds their habit of always dressing the same particularly irritating because even though she's married with a daughter and has recently had a big promotion at work, Sophie feels like she's spent her whole life being told how alike she is to her younger sister, who still lives in a flat share and drifts from job to job. She tucks in her shirt so it isn't hanging loose like Rosie's. Rosie makes another circuit of the room. 'How much do you reckon it's worth?'

'Absolutely nothing,' Sophie says.

'Why are you so sure?'