“_You need to tell her._”

“_Why me?_”

“_You got us into this mess_.”

“It wouldn’t have been a problem if you hadn’t-“

She jabbed him with her foot. “_You’re being too loud. Whisper_.” She hissed. He could see her furrowed brows, even in the dark.

He tried to reposition himself, but it just made his legs flare up with pins and needles. “_I think I’m cramping up._” He said while flexing and relaxing his toes.

She tutted and shifted further down. “_It’s your fault for being so bloody tall._”

“_Always has to be my fault._”

“_Well, it usually is.” _She said, peering through the gap in the doors_. “Will you stop fidgeting!_”

He pushed his leg up, forcing his hips up too. They both started giggling, though the angles of their bodies made it sound guttural. It set of another round of laughing and awkward shuffling.

“_That’s my boob._”

“_Sorry_.”

“_You’ll do it after this, then?_”

“_Do what?_”

“_Tell her that she can’t come._” She reiterated, before unceremoniously hitting the cupboard door with her elbow. It sent another wave of giggles. The cupboard was getting hotter with each passing second. “_God, whose idea was it to hide in here? I’m too old for this._”

“_The same person who invited Helen over, despite being told it was a bad idea.” _

She tried to sit up at that, both because her back was aching and because she wanted to look him in the eyes. “Are you serious? You know that I can’t say no to people and yet you just left me with her.”

“_Shush! I can’t always be your spokesperson, Maria_.”

“_It’s your sister, _Omar_, not the bloody House of Lords._” She said. Combing her fringe with her fingers, she seemed to take a moment to think over what she was going to say next. “_I just feel like you don’t support me sometimes. You know that I struggle with Helen.”_

He sighed, finding it difficult to ignore the numbness in his legs, which was quickly spreading to his arms. “_I’ll speak to her._”

“_Thank you_.” She said before squeezing his knee with her hand.

The cupboard door suddenly opened and the pair came tumbling out. They hit the floor with a thud and rolled onto their backs. The brightness of the room paired with the cold of the floor made both of them groan.

“Found you!” The girl called. She laughed at the adults sprawled on the floor, her plaits bobbing.

“Yes, you did.” Maria said, pressing a hand to her forehead. Omar flexed his fingers, trying to shake the feeling back into them.

“_But_ I told you two to not hide together.” The girl said, “So we’ll have to go again.”

“Just before that,” Omar said, getting to his feet. He glanced at Maria who was looking at him wearily, “I need to speak to you about our tea party next weekend.”