Frankie grabbed his mother’s arm and pulled her away from the door. “Come on Ma, lets light the candles on the cake, they’re gonna need a minute.” He told her sternly, his face a deep crimson as his imagination ran wild with what his sister might be doing on the other side of the door.

Both Jane and Maura sat up, staring at the door and straining to hear why Frankie had failed to come into the room. As Jane’s giggles returned, Maura got to her feet. It was then that she realise their laughter had had the bed shaking and she stared at Jane.

“Oh my god, Jane!”

Her exclamation did nothing to ease Jane’s laughter and she rolled onto her side, holding her stomach and wheezing.

“Jane it really isn’t funny. They think we’re……”

Jane coughed and wiped her eyes as she sat up slowly.

“Think we’re what?” Jane asked as she composed herself. It had been a long while since she’d really laughed and she’d needed it.

“Maura?” she looked back and forth between her friend and the door, trying to work out what had happened while she’d be incapacitated with the giggles.

“They think we’re, you know…..”

Jane shook her head, “We’re wha……” Realisation dawned over Jane and she felt the giggles returning with a vengeance.

“They think we’re copulating!!” Maura exclaimed loudly, before clamping her hands over her mouth.

That was the final straw for Jane and she gave herself over entirely to the giggles.

“Frankie!” Angela pulled herself from her son’s grasps and stood in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. “Why do you man-handle your mother in such a way, really?”

Frankie ignored his mother’s remonstrations and pulled open the nearest drawer in his search from some matches to light the candles with. He was sure he’d jumped to a conclusion but he could have sworn that he had heard Maura exclaiming; ‘oh my god.’ He tried to push the images from his mind; after all, Jane was his sister.

“What are you doing?” Angela asked as she came around the counter to his side.

“Matches Ma, we need matches for the candles.” Frankie pushed the drawer closed and tried another. It contained only silverware.