Clara stopped for a moment as Skye sniffed about some tree roots. ‘But what if we try, and it doesn’t work? It’ll change everything.’ Just like she’d done with Kerr. She’d been brave then – asked him out – only for him to reject her. And even though he’d done it gently and didn’t hold a grudge, things were still awkward between them.
‘Darling, I know it’s scary. But think about it this way – aren’t you already changing things? You’re carrying around these feelings, this worry. Don’t you think Sam deserves to know?’
Clara ran a hand through her hair, feeling a spatter of raindrops. ‘Yes, you’re right.’
‘Let me know what happens.’
‘I will. And thank you. I love you, Mum.’
‘Love you too, darling.’
‘I should go though. It’s starting to rain.’
Clara had reached the stream, and on the bridge below, something caught her eye. It looked like someone was lying on it. Her chest constricted. She sped up walking in the direction of the person. As she got closer, she saw it was a woman in running gear. She was half sitting now as the rain came down, moving very slowly.
Clara approached her, the wood slippery underfoot. ‘Are you ok?’
The woman looked up through teary eyes. ‘I slipped. I think I’ve broken my ankle. I can’t move it.’
‘It’s ok, my lovely.’ Clara took off her jacket and put it around the woman’s shoulder. ‘I’ll call for help.’ She took her phone out of her bag and hit 999.
‘I need to call my husband,’ the woman said after Clara had called for an ambulance. ‘He’s at home with our baby. This is the first run I’ve done since I had her. And it’s a disaster.’
Clara crouched down beside her, and Skye sniffed around her in a concerned kind of way.
‘How old is your baby?’
‘Seven months. Oh god, I wish I’d stayed home.’
The rain thundered down onto the bridge, and the stream below was swollen, surging furiously beneath them. Clara’s thin top was soaked through, and Skye looked like a drowned rat.
Clara put her arms around the young woman and let her cry. Her own heart broke for her and how traumatic it was to be apart from her loved ones. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was how she would feel if she was separated from Sam for good – and she had to let him know.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sam
‘Iwouldn’t want you to be too far away,’ Jacob said, wrapping his arms around Sam as he sat on the edge of his bed.
Kaleb looked out the window that was covered in fat raindrops. ‘I wouldn’t either, but I get it. Moving about all the time sucks. And it’s not fair how Mum gets to decide for all of us.’
‘Well, you know why that is.’ Sam held Jacob close. ‘I’m not your biological dad. Officially I don’t have a say.’
‘Do we have a say?’ Kaleb asked, swiping his hair off his face.
Sam let out a sigh. ‘You do, but the law will always come down against me. And it’s not like I want to separate you from your mum. I want you to have the best of what I can give you. And right now, I feel this house is the best place I can offer. I can’t guarantee I’ll ever find a place like this again. If you have to move further away, then I’ll make every effort to see you as often as possible. And during every holiday, you can come here for as long as you want.’
Because Olive would always need the childcare.
‘Ok.’ Jacob cuddled in, and Sam kissed his soft sandy brown hair. ‘I love you, Dad.’
‘I love you too. Both of you.’
Kaleb came over from his bed and sat beside Sam. They group-hugged.
‘Maybe we should all just hope that your mum gets a job nearby.’
Kaleb held up crossed fingers. ‘Will you talk to her about it? She doesn’t like me saying anything.’
