Act 1 – Chapter one
Georgina hovered back to admire her sister Francis’s happy little family. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched as Francis and her husband Dan swung her young niece forward with every third step they took together with a chorused 'one two and a three'. Little Francesca was holding tightly onto each of her parent’s hands, her little arms extended up to their full length as she played along with the fun walking game, her new dress buffing out like a parachute with every swing. Francesca threw her head back as she giggled, causing her mousey curls to cascade down her back. Georgina thought her niece’s laugh was the best natural instrument she had ever heard.
The smile spread even wider across Georgina’s face reaching her eyes, going down into her chest and melting her heart. She adored her family. After losing their mother at an early age, her father and her sister were her everything. Georgina and Francis were as thick as thieves having only thirteen months in age between them, and they had become inseparable after their mother’s passing. Now Francis’s husband and little Francesca were an added bonus included in the tight family circle Georgina held so very dear.
Georgina’s thoughts turned to her father Tom, who was most likely already at church as she continued to watch her sister’s family. Tom had raised them single handedly since their mother’s passing. All through their childhood he had called them the three musketeers. They were inseparable and their trio impenetrable, and Georgina had liked it that way.
Naturally, there were certain situations when a mother’s advice would have been nice to have, but their father had always done his best. Over the years, there were many occasions when Georgina wished she’d had a mother like everyone else—such asschool sports day, when her friends had both parents cheering for their child. And of course, the day her sister and her could never escape—the dreadedMother’s Day,when the class would be making Mother’s Day cards.
Georgina thought of her father again. Bless him. Tom had always made Mother’s Day special for the sisters. Every year he’d pack a picnic—no matter what the weather. He’d gather the picnic basket, Georgina and Francis together, and they would all head for the cemetery to spend some time sitting by their mother’s headstone as their father regaled stories to them, and shared fond memories about their mother.
As Georgina thought back, she realised her father had never brought another female presence into their young lives. In fact, he’d never dated anyone up until recently, and now Francis and she were in their twenties. And then thankfully, the relationship he’d had with a woman who he’d met in an online dating app had been a brief one, because she had nearly broken her father’s heart.
Both Francis and Georgina had been so angry with the dating app woman. Thankfully, all had turned out fine in the end. Her father had finally found happiness again when he’d become romantically involved with Christine, the local hair stylist. After years of being close friends, Christine and Tom had suddenly realised one day their friendship had grown into something so much more—something deeper.
Francis and Georgina had been going to Christine's hair salon since they were toddlers. They both liked Christine. She had given them advice when her father couldn’t provide answers more times than she could remember over the years. Although Georgina had been unsure about them becoming romantically involved at the very beginning of their relationship, she now knew Christine was the perfect woman for her father.
Thinking about how happy both her sister and her father were, made Georgina stop in her tracks and think about her own life. It was time to re-evaluate herself.
Wasshehappy? She had been hurt a few times romantically over the years, and now her heart was guarded. She wanted to find love, but she was apprehensive of being hurt again.
Francis called her name, pulling her out of her deep thoughts.
‘Come on Sis. Stop dawdling. At this rate dad would have given our places away and all the good pews will be taken. We’ll end up at the back, and then Francesca will be fidgeting throughout the entire sermon without the watchful gaze of Reverand Townsend resting on her.’
Georgina laughed lightly and quickened her pace to catch up. ‘What are you trying to say about your own flesh and blood, Sis? That she has a mischievous streak in her?’
Francis gave her little sister a sideward glance, giving her a look Georgina knew so well. ‘Are you kidding me? Yes, and you know it. And she certainly didn’t get it from Dan or me. Those genes are ones shared with you alone.’
Dan turned his head to look at Georgina with a grin. Georgina wagged a finger in his direction. ‘Don’t say a thing Dan.’
‘My lips are sealed Georgina. I’m not daft enough to be drawn into an infamous Shelley sister dispute.’
Georgina laughed aloud. ‘Very wise Dan.’
Francis and Dan had stopped swinging Francesca, and she pulled her hands free from her parents and walked over to Georgina, sliding her small hand into hers as she looked up and asked, ‘Does that mean I’m like you, Auntie Gina?’
Georgina smiled down at Francesca. ‘You are full of sugar and spice and all things nice my little sweet pea.’ Georginadotted the end of her small, upturned nose with her finger, and Francesca giggled.
‘And Auntie Georgina is full of frogs and snails and puppy dog’s tails,’ said Dan under his breath chuckling.
Francis playfully swotted him in the shoulder. ‘Hey! Don’t say that about my sister. OnlyI’mallowed to say derogatory things about her.’ Dan rolled his eyes and shook his head. Georgina and Francis looked at each other and laughed. Dan bent down to his daughter's level. ‘Thick as thieves your mum and your auntie are, Francesca.’
Francesca gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. ‘Uh-oh. They steal things?’
‘Goodness me. No!’ gasped Francis, ‘We don’t honey, it’s just a silly saying.’
Francesca screwed up her nose. ‘What is a...saying?’
Francis shot her husband a look. He chuckled behind his hand.
Georgina laughed. ‘Parenting is so much fun isn’t it. I might partake in it one day.’
‘You have to find a fella you don’t mind spending the rest of your life with first, sis.’
Francis looked at her husband and smiled as she spoke. Georgina could literally feel the love they felt for each other passing between them.
‘No chance of that happening here in Seagull Bay. I’d better think about moving away then.’
