‘When will you come home?’
‘Home?Oh … I’m not sure …’ Nel put a hand to her chest, suddenly tight at the thought of returning to Carrinya.It had been fourteen years since she’d left, and in all that time she hadn’t once made the five-hour journey south.
‘Can you come tomorrow?’her mum said, her tone tentative.
‘Um, I don’t know …’ Nel felt like there was a brick pressing on her chest, but what choice did she have?‘Okay … I guess I’ll come tomorrow.’
When Nel ended the call, she started pulling out clothes and piling them on the bed beside Winston, wondering how much to pack.It was all so sudden that she couldn’t quite comprehend it.This time tomorrow I’ll be back in Carrinya.It felt both daunting and implausible.Nausea gripped her stomach as she pictured the road into town, the quaint main street, her childhood home.The whispers and stares of the locals.
She took a steadying breath and told herself it would be okay.She’d always known she’d go back one day.It was inevitable.In fact, it was surprising she’d been able to avoid it until now.She would get in and out as quickly as possible, she decided, putting one jumper back in the drawer.
She sat down on the bed and looked at Winston.What would she do with him while she was gone?Her mother was allergic,so taking him with her wasn’t an option.She thought of the neighbours.She’d become friendly with Beth upstairs, but she was a flight attendant so she was away for days at a time.There was a nice couple on the ground floor, but they were expecting a baby any day now.The old guy in number three communicated entirely through aggressive notes—airing grievances relating to recycling and packages left in the foyer (in all caps, with key words double underlined)—and the guys across the hall seemed to spend most of their time partying.Winston wouldn’t cope, even if they were willing, which they probably wouldn’t be.
She had some friends in Sydney, old uni mates, but she’d only seen them a few times since she’d returned from Dublin.After five years away, and very patchy contact, she could hardly expect them to welcome her grumpy rescue cat with open arms.She thought of Nicole from work who had three boys and a high tolerance for chaos, which made Nel think she might not mind taking care of a random cat.It did feel like a stretch of their professional relationship though.By the time she finished packing, she’d decided to put Winston into a cattery.It would be simpler that way anyway.She wouldn’t owe anyone anything.Within fifteen minutes she’d arranged to drop him off at the Balmain Pet Hotel later that afternoon.She reached out to stroke him, but he made a high-pitched sound, jumped off the bed and slunk over to the sofa where he promptly curled up and went back to sleep.
Nel sighed and turned her attention back to the packing.She looked at her warm winter coat, the one she’d bought in her first Irish winter, but decided it would be too heavy and took her leather jacket off the hanger instead.Then she pulled her suitcase down from the top of the wardrobe, put all the clothes inside and zipped it halfway up, ready for Carrinya tomorrow.
Chapter 2
Sophie glanced at the clock as she put an apple into each of the lunch boxes on the kitchen bench.How was it already ten past eight?She looked over at the table where Jasmine was putting the finishing touches on a drawing of a dragon, her vegemite toast untouched, while Harvey slurped Rice Bubbles, milk dribbling down his chin.He sniffed heavily.
Sophie reached for a tissue.‘Come on, kids.We need to get a wriggle on.’She wiped his nose.How long had Harvey had that cold now?It felt like weeks.‘Keep eating, Jaz, or the drawings will have to go away.’
Duke, their staffie, sat by her side, watching as she reached for her own vegemite toast.
‘Where’s Charlie?’Sophie asked.
‘On his iPad,’ Harvey said, husky-voiced.
Sophie sighed.Ever since his twelfth birthday, Charlie had been pushing boundaries.‘Charlie!Come and have breakfast!’she called as Ryan walked into the kitchen, shirtless.
‘Can you iron this?’he said, passing her a crumpled shirt.
‘Oh ah …’ Sophie bit her lip.‘I ironed five on the weekend.They’re hanging in your wardrobe.’
He paused, tilted his head to one side.‘I want to wear this one.’
‘Sure, okay,’ she said, giving him a tight smile.
She pulled out the ironing board while Ryan spooned protein powder into the NutriBullet.She was pressing the collar when Charlie appeared.
‘You’re not meant to be on the iPad before school,’ she said, then she noticed the stricken look on his face.‘Are you okay?’
‘Doctor Foley—’
The whirr of the blender drowned out the end of his sentence.
‘What did you say, Charlie?’Sophie asked when Ryan turned the machine off, careful to conceal her irritation.
‘I said, Doctor Foley died,’ Charlie repeated.
Sophie frowned, picturing Rob Foley, tall and broad, with kind eyes and a year-round surfer’s tan.Ryan’s head snapped up, his dark eyes moving from Charlie to Sophie then back again.
‘I like Doctor Foley,’ Harvey said, sniffing again.‘He gives me jelly beans.’
‘Well, he won’t be giving you jelly beans anymore,’ Charlie said.
‘Why not?’Harvey asked.
