Carmen asked how to get to work and Sofia frowned and said you walked, that’s how you got about the city; the buses only went to weird places and the tram only went to the airport and nowhere else at all.
‘Nowhere else?’ said Carmen, perturbed.
‘Nowhere else at all.’
‘Huh. What about a bicycle?’
‘How good are you at riding bicycles up steps?’ said Sofia.
‘Can I borrow your car?’ said Carmen, looking out at a bunch of leaves swirling down the street in a high wind.
‘A car?’ said Sofia. ‘In central Edinburgh?’ She sounded like Carmen had suggested getting to work on a dragon. ‘They’ll kill you.’
‘Who?’
‘The … traffic wardens.’ Sofia looked suddenly anxious, as if even saying their name might summon them. ‘Don’t risk it. I beg you.’
She turned away and went to the annoyingly spacious and well laid out cupboard under the stairs where she retrieved for Carmen a massive engulfing expensive padded parka.
‘Try this.’
Carmen glanced down at her well-worn leather jacket.
‘I’m okay.’
‘I mean it. You’ll freeze.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ said Carmen, looking at Google Maps.
‘Go up the steps here and then along and then down the steps there,’ said Sofia. ‘Or you could go round the castle and up the castle steps.’
‘I don’t want to go up any steps,’ said Carmen. Sofia smiled nicely. ‘Do you want me to make you a packed lunch?’
‘No, thank you.’
Carmen would have loved a packed lunch but she wasn’t going to give her eight-months-pregnant sister even more of a reason to get up and prove herself effortlessly more competent at everything.
‘I’ll find my way. Don’t fuss! And I can make packed lunches!’
‘Yes, please,’ came a little voice by her side. ‘I like Nutella sandwiches.’
Sofia gave a loud strangulated laugh before casting a worried glance at Skylar, who was cross-legged on the rug meditating quite obtrusively.
‘Ha, as if we would ever have Nutella in the house.’
‘I had it at a party once,’ said Phoebe in a wistful tone as if describing a paradise lost. ‘I will never forget it.’
Carmen wondered if buying them all enormous jars would do as Christmas presents.
‘No, don’t worry about it,’ said Sofia. ‘I do them all on Sunday nights and take them out of the freezer as we go.’
‘What is it today?’ said Phoebe.
‘Hummus and radishes!’ said Sofia. ‘Isn’t that amazing? I’ve made it into a happy face for you in your lunch box.’
‘Radishes don’t make anyone happy,’ said Phoebe.
‘I love radishes, Mummy!’ said Pippa, appearing in the kitchen doorway. Somehow already in her blue school uniform and neat tartan kilt, she looked immaculate, ironed, put together, her shiny hair shimmering in a neat ponytail.
Sofia smiled at her.
‘Well, good for you,’ she said. ‘Would you like some extra raisins?’
‘Oh yes, please!’
‘“Oh yes, please”，’ mimicked Phoebe. ‘“Oh please, please, I would like more STUPID RAISINS because I am STUPID PIPPA”。’