It was a strange feeling, hearing someone I’d never met say my name like she knew me.
“She’s good,” Theo said, his gaze seeking me out. “She's recovering fine, just taking her time coming out, too.”
My heart thundered as I rounded the front of the ute, my hip bumping into the bloodstained bullbar. I straightened, and my face heated as I offered a smile. “Hi.”
“Sadie?” Mia’s features lit up. When she spotted Brynn in my arms, confusion replaced her happiness, and she glanced at Theo. “Is there something you forgot to tell me, little brother?”
“You can stop looking at me like that,” he said with a smile. “This is Brynn. We only found her an hour ago. She’s new to us, too.”
“Oh, my God.” Mia pressed her hands to her mouth. “Seriously?”
“Mum. Mum! It’s a baby!” Ruby rushed over to me and cupped Brynn’s hand. The baby sucked her thumb and looked down at Theo’s niece with a tentative smile, kicking her foot as if she was excited to see another young person.
“I think she likes you,” I said, jiggling Brynn to widen her smile. She pulled out her thumb and made a sound that bordered on a giggle.
“I like her too.” Ruby jumped up and down beside me as the front door darkened with the appearance of another family member.
An older man wandered outside, broad shouldered, with short, dark hair peppered with the same grey as his eyes. He wore a blue and black checkered flannel shirt and well-loved jeans, looking as comfortable in his own body as Theo always had.
The lines on his face made him seem like a time-lapse version of his son, twenty-some years down the track. Still handsome, still strong and capable.
He scanned Mia and Ruby, then the baby and me. It was too much to take in, and I held my breath, waiting for it to click into place.
When his eyes roamed over his son, his expression shifted to one of disbelief.
Theo made a rough sound in his throat, and my tears threatened to fall again.
Communication had been down for less than a week, but with no way to speak to one another, we imagined all kinds of terrible fates for the people we cared about.
His father—Dave—walked toward us like he didn’t trust what he was seeing. Theo met him halfway with long strides, and the two of them embraced, a solid hug with loud claps on the back. I thought I’d even picked up on a muffled sob.
Norm bounded over and pushed his nose between them, jumping until Dave rested a hand on his head to settle him.
“You finally ignored the roadblocks,” he said, his voice husky.
“Didn’t have to,” Theo said. “They’re gone. Everything’s gone. I’ll tell you more about it inside.” He pulled back and wiped the tears from his face, his gaze flicking to me. “Dad, this is Sadie.”
With a gleam in his eye, Dave took me in from head to toe. “So, this is the girl my boy’s always talking about. Has he been taking care of you?”
Theo’s expression fell somewhere between horrified and amused.
“He has,” I said with a laughing breath, surprised he’d spoken about me. “He’s the best.”
“Welcome to the family,” Dave said with a good-natured smile. “We’re glad to have you.” Then the baby in my arms finally registered, and he tilted his head. “Is this your… daughter?”
Theo came over to join me, standing on my other side while Ruby stayed close. “Nope. Well, not until today. We found her on the way here,” he said, palming the back of Brynn’s head. “She doesn’t have anyone.”
Ruby surprised me by leaning against me and keeping hold of Brynn’s hand, smiling up at me. Freckles spread across thebridge of her nose, and her eyes were the clearest blue. Rather than hold back with new people like I once would have, I returned her smile and looked from one person to the other.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said, “and this is Brynn.”
I couldn’t help thinking how lucky Theo was to have his family.
They were whole. Safe.
I still didn’t know what had happened to Ava, but seeing him happy was enough.
The house was so warm inside. Candles glowed in the early evening light. A wood fire crackled, and a small crowd I’d never met before lounged on an oversized couch the same colour as the lattes I used to grab on my way to work.
