“I think you do know.” Mum told me. Her fingers jostled gently over the transparent polythene wrapping. It’s almost as if they can sense the delicate lace beneath the plastic. I concentrated on clasping and clenching my fingers together whilst my mother told me what Hannah had told her. “Now I’m very angry with her for embarrassing you… today of all days.” she said. “But I’m also disheartened to learn that you’ve been stealing her things.” she added.

After several long silent seconds, I said “I put them back.”

“I know you did.” Mum said. She put her hand on my hands. “Sometimes a little too soon.” she added. “I knew Hannah wouldn’t be wearing certain things just for a few hours and put them straight in the wash the very same day they came out of it.” she said. “I knew what you were up to but didn’t know that Hannah knew.” she claimed. I looked my mother in the eye and gulped. How long has she know for? I wondered. I confessed to Hannah finding out in the summer. “Yes… that’s what Hannah said too.” Mum sighed. “She also said that all you had to do was ask.”

My focus returned to my hands once more whilst mother told me what else my sister had said, that being that I’ve borrowed her things without asking ‘loads’ of times. “Not that many times.” I mumbled.

“Only once would have been one time too many Peter. How would you like it if she was sneaking into your room whilst your backs turned and rooted through your things?” Mum asked. I gulped and shrugged, before claiming that my sister does exactly that. “Stationery!” Mum chuckled. “There’s a big difference between her borrowing a stapler and you borrowing her underwear.”

I hung my head. Mum put the gift on my lap and said that I no longer have an excuse to borrow from my sister when I want to wear girl’s things. “I don’t want to wear them.” I claimed, shoving the gift back onto my mother’s lap.

“Maybe not today… but I suspect one day you might.” my mother claimed. She placed it, cardboard side out, against my chest of drawers, suggesting I put them in the bottom of my underwear drawer where they’ll be out of sight and out of mind. I suggested putting them on the bin. “No… don’t do that.” my mother insisted. “You may not want them now but I don’t want you sneaking into your sisters room should you change your mind.”

“I won’t.” I insisted.

“Well… good.” Mum replied. “If that’s the case than they’ll do no harm at the bottom of your drawer.” she said. “Now… we can put this to one side if you want to come back down stairs. Nothing more will be said about it today.”

“I’d rather stay up here.”

“All day?” Mum asked. I nodded. “No you don’t… you want to pretend this never happened and come back downstairs.” she stated before assuring me that neither her, Dad or Hannah would mention anything about it.

“What did Dad say?” I mumbled.

Mum told he’s not happy with my sister either, but other than that, he’s OK. Mum also told me that she’d told him ‘months ago’ when she’d worked out the anomalies in the laundry. “It’s normal for boys your age to experiment and that’s OK.” she said, adding, “So long as you’re not masturba…”

“I’m not!” I whined.

“I know your not Peter. Believe me I’d know if you were.”