‘Can your husband get time off work?’ Nat asked. ‘Or do you have family to look after the kids?’
‘My husband is still on holidays till next week. Luckily I have plenty of expressed breast milk in the freezer.’
Nat smiled. ‘I’ll refer you to our welfare worker as well. She can help with any of the logistics.’
Shooting her a grateful smile, Nina said, ‘Thanks.’
‘There’s another thing,’ Alessandro added.
‘Oh?’
Nina looked like she wasn’t up for any more bad news today but it had to be done. ‘I’m going to have to test you both for swamp flu, I’m afraid.’ Alessandro chose the common name rather than the medical term because it was easier for a non-medical person to grasp.
‘Swamp flu?’ Nina’s eyebrows practically hit her hairline. ‘You think Benji’s got swamp flu?’ She held her arms out for her baby and Nat handed him over.
‘No. I don’t think he has it. I think in all likelihood he has a common cold but I’m afraid there are certain protocols I’m governed by now because of his symptoms and the fact that he’s just come from another country where the infection is prevalent.’
Benji, who was squirming and protesting his mother’s tight hold, stopped as soon as Nina relaxed. ‘Okay sure.’ She kissed her son’s head. ‘But… what if he does have it?’
‘We’ll start him on some special antiviral medication, which will help lessen the duration and vigour of the symptoms. We’ll have to get the infectious disease team involved, who’ll track all contacts. The rest of your family will need to go into home quarantine immediately – just in case.’
‘For how long?’
‘The recommendation is seven days. But we should have the test results back by tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully only a day until they come back negative. You’ll have to be nursed in isolation too until we know the results.’
‘Hell.’ Nina puffed air out her mouth, ruffling her fringe. ‘What a mess.’
‘Yes.’ That was putting it mildly. ‘But, as I say, I really don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.’ He patted her hand and smiled. ‘Let’s just take this one step at a time.’
Nina’s worried expression dissipated beneath the confidence Alessandro was almost one hundred per cent certain was justified.
‘One step at a time,’ Nina agreed.
Alessandro left the cubicle with Nat a few minutes later. ‘I’ll callIDand X-Ray. We’ll have to get a mobile ultrasound,’ he said. ‘Get an urgentNPAon both of them and move them to an iso cube. Limit numbers in there and make sure anyone going in wears a gown and mask.’
She didn’t question him or seek any clarification or even freak out at the potential risks; she just nodded and went about her job, for which Alessandro was grateful.
Grateful to have her by his side at work as well as in his home.
The next afternoon Nat cut open one of the few remaining boxes stacked in Alessandro’s formal lounge area. She could hear father and son chattering away as they cooked tea together and she was looking forward to the weekend.
This time with Alessandro and Juliano had been satisfying on levels she hadn’t thought possible as she’d watched their journey back to each other.
She was going to miss them when she left.
But, she didn’t want to think about that. Her apartment was still not ready and right now there were more boxes to get through. The progress had been slow as Nat had given priority to activities that kept Juliano and Alessandro together and focused on the future. Going to the beach, heading to the movies, taking a ferry trip on the river, playing soccer in the park.
Sure, going through the boxes was also something they did together and helped them connect. They talked about the things inside and it was interesting learning about their lives before they’d entered hers. But she was more than aware that it wasn’t a task Alessandro relished – the memories, she guessed – so she found it was better in small doses.
Still, as she looked around the house she couldn’t deny the sense of accomplishment. Emptying the boxes, decorating Alessandro’s house, seeing it turn from an igloo into a warm,welcoming home, also helped by the flowering of the father–son relationship, had been immensely satisfying.
Something that had started out as a way to help, a thank-you to Alessandro for his generosity, had become much more. And seeing the dividends it was paying in every aspect of their lives was very special.
She settled on her haunches next to the nearest box and opened a lid, finding yet another stash of linen. Whoever the mysterious Camilla had been, she’d had impeccable taste. Egyptian cotton sheets and the very best quality hundred per cent duck-down quilts – a bit unnecessary in Brisbane but too beautiful to shove in a cupboard and ignore.
As she reached in to pull out the next sheet her hand knocked against something hard and she peered in. Something was wrapped in the sheet, about the size of a large book but not as bulky. Could this be the elusive photos Alessandro had assured her were in one of the boxes?
She’d almost forgotten about them over the intervening weeks and all their distractions.
