Birds of a Feather, page 37
“There were times when I cursed Rex for dying and leaving me to raise our sons alone. But then, given the kind of man he was, perhaps we would have disagreed about the best way to do it.” Eve gave a soft snort. “And who knows how things would have been if he was still alive. Being more involved with the prawn business has been my life’s work and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
“Are you happy with tonight’s result?”
“Yes. And grateful for your support and Julia’s.”
“You must be tired.” Lucy rose from the recliner. “Why don’t you sit here for a while?”
“Actually, I was thinking I’d like a cup of tea. I didn’t end up drinking the one you made me. Do you think we could venture up to the kitchen?”
“I stuck my head out a while ago. The lounge door was still closed.”
“Right, well, this is my house and I want a cuppa. Let’s go.” Eve reached the playroom door then stopped and turned back. “I’ve been so lucky to have had you as my nurse and home help, Lucy. I might need your support a little longer if Julia leaves soon but I’m looking forward to the day when that won’t be necessary.”
“You’ll be fit enough to do everything for yourself soon.”
“I hope so. And that will be good. I don’t like to rely on others but also, I hope it will mean you can come out for visits rather than for work. Bring the children so they can play on the boat, ride the bikes, use the toys.” Eve waved a hand at the playroom then placed it on Lucy’s arm. “I’d really appreciate the opportunity to have you visit as my friend, rather than my nurse.”
Lucy smiled and the warmth of it bolstered Eve’s courage.
“I know there’s an age gap and of course you have Helen, but perhaps you’d think of me as you would an older relative.”
Lucy’s smile widened. “We’d love that,” she said.
“Good.” Eve felt as if she would burst with joy. “Yes, that’s great. Let’s go and get that cuppa.” Like a pair of co-conspirators they trod quietly up the passage.
The lounge door was open and the room in darkness – only the kitchen light was on.
“They must have gone to bed,” Lucy said.
Eve winked. “I hope they’re making up for lost time.”
Lucy’s cheeks glowed as she busied herself in the kitchen making the tea. She tried not to think about what Julia and Glen might be doing in the bedroom. Instead she focused on Eve’s suggestion that Lucy and the kids continue to visit. It had been a surprise. Lucy had thought Eve had been going to say she’d be glad to have her home back to herself but instead she’d made an open invitation to come anytime.
Lucy had found happiness here she’d not expected when she took the job, and there was the unforeseen bonus of Eve’s friendship. Helen was a wonderful person and a special grandmother for Poppy and Noah. Perhaps Eve would become a kind of aunt, something Lucy had never been able to give her children.
Lucy put their mugs on the table.
“Have you spoken to Alec more about the move to the flat?” Eve asked. “Not that there’s any hurry for you to leave.”
“We spoke tonight, actually. While you were reading to the kids. He’s going to come home on his week off after all.”
“Is that soon?”
“He should get back to Adelaide on Saturday.”
“You must be pleased.”
“I am. We weren’t sure how long he’d be away for this time. He only gets a week off and loses some of that travelling back and forth. With all that had happened since he left, he badly wanted to come home and be with us.” Her excitement was tempered with sadness though. “If everything is sorted with the flat by the time he has to return to work, this might be our last weekend here. We’ll miss it. The kids have adopted you and they love the freedom out here. Their confidence has returned and … I’ve learned to let them have some space.”
Eve smiled. “You know you can come anytime for visits.”
“I do.”
“And if you get busy with building your new business, perhaps the children could come out here for a few hours. I know Helen and Kon will help out with them but sometimes it’s nice for kids to run free for a while.”
“Thank you, Eve. We will certainly take you up on that.”
“So are you and Alec thinking you’ll start the seafood business?”
“We’re certainly leaning that way. Living in the flat will give us the opportunity to have a good look at the building and how it might work for us. We don’t want a dine-in eating area. There are already plenty of those in town. We want to focus on quality takeaway seafood but with an outdoor area people can eat in if they want. And so many people have dogs with them these days so we want to make it dog-friendly.”
“Oh, that reminds me. Pete’s dropping Belle off tomorrow. Looks like he’s going to get his other knee replaced so he’s going down for a specialist appointment and staying overnight with his niece.”
“Poppy and Noah will love that.”
“I don’t suppose you could get them a dog if you’re going to live above the shop.”
“No, thank goodness. They love Belle, but … what about you, Eve? Are you sure you won’t get another dog to keep you company?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’m sure. They’re a tie, and now without the prawn business I can come and go as I please. Once my shoulder’s up to it I’ll head to Darwin. I don’t mind the winter up there and Zac’s house has a granny flat underneath so I have my own space. I’d have to find someone to look after a dog if I got another. I think it’s a good idea to make your outdoor eating area dog-friendly though.”
Eve asked about the menu they might serve and that led them to the prawn festival and back to the museum meeting. They chatted till late and when Lucy finally fell into bed it was with the realisation that with Eve’s help and, she had to admit, even Julia’s, here in Wallaby Bay she’d found a home.
forty
Lucy carried the basket of washing out to the line. The stiff sea breeze whipped her hair across her face as soon as she stepped out from the protection of the verandah. It was icy but it couldn’t cool her excitement. Alec would be back this afternoon. It was going to be a crazy week ahead. Julia and Glen were leaving tomorrow so Eve would still need Lucy’s regular help. There’d be the flat to clean and furniture to move but Lucy was looking forward to it.
She put down the basket and paused to listen. The wind stirred the trees and beyond that she could hear the occasional squeal from Poppy and bark from Belle. Julia and the dog were with Poppy and Noah at the boat. Julia had been growling like a pirate when they’d set off so who knew what was going on but Lucy felt pleased with herself for not worrying. It was such a relief to let go of the responsibilities of parenting, just for a while.
Earlier Eve had gone off somewhere with Glen. They’d driven away in the MG. Eve had waved regally from the passenger seat with a huge smile on her face. Before they’d left, Eve had asked Glen to start her Torana and back it out of the shed. Lucy glanced at the bright orange car gleaming in the weak sunshine. Goodness knows what that woman was cooking up next.
The sound of a car coming closer was mixed with the sound of singing. Julia and the children emerged from the trees. Belle danced at their feet. Poppy was riding on Julia’s shoulders, Noah was hopping along beside them and the three of them were singing “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine”, which was drowned out by the burble of Glen’s car as he pulled into the yard. Another car followed them and Lucy waved as Jess and her husband climbed out.
“I’ve bought a new car,” Eve announced after they’d said their hellos.
“At last,” Julia said as she lowered Poppy to the ground.
“Glen was a great help.”
“I’m pretty sure you had that car salesman sorted without my help, Eve.” He chuckled.
“Something sensible that’s easy to drive, I hope,” Julia said.
“Good grief, no,” Eve said. “Except for the easy to drive part and that’s where I had to rely on Glen’s expertise.”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve bought an MG,” Julia groaned.
“I was tempted but there’s nowhere to buy one around here and I like to shop local.”
“What did you get?” Julia said.
“No old lady car for Eve,” Glen said. “She’s bought herself a sporty little SUV.”
“A red one,” Eve added.
“Can we see it?” Noah asked.
“I can’t have it for a few weeks,” Eve said. “It’s not ready yet but it should be here about the time I can drive again. I’ll take you for a spin then.”
“Yes.” Noah fist-pumped the air.
“Did you trade in the Torana?” Julia asked.
“No,” Eve said. “That’s why Jess and Chris are here. Chris is interested.”
“Very interested,” Chris said.
“You’ve got the keys, Glen,” Eve said. “Why don’t you two take her for a run?”
“And me,” Jess said. “If we’re buying this car I have to see if it can fit a child seat.” She patted her rounded tummy.
“Not in the Torana,” Chris groaned. “The car seat will go in the four-wheel drive.”
“We’ll see,” Jess said as she opened the back door.
Eve, Julia and Lucy wandered back to the verandah out of the wind as the Torana disappeared down the drive. Poppy and Noah got out their bikes and Belle ran along beside them.
“Look at the bling light up on that engagement ring,” Eve said as Julia’s hand flashed in the sunlight.
“It’s a commitment ring.” Julia fixed Eve with a stern look. “I’ve told you Glen and I are happy to be together without the official paperwork.”
“It’s very pretty,” Lucy said. While she’d found quite a lot of common ground with Julia since she’d got to know her better, this was another point of difference. Lucy would be happy if the man she loved asked her to marry him. Over the moon in fact. It would be the icing on the cake. She and Alec had talked about marriage when she was pregnant with Noah but they’d put it off. Lucy had wanted to wait until she could party properly. Then Poppy had come along and life had got busy.
“I’m not anti-marriage, you know,” Julia said, as if she’d read her thoughts. “It’s just not what I want for me.”
“As long as Glen is happy too,” Eve said.
Julia opened her mouth, must have thought better of what she was going to say and licked her lips instead. “He is.”
“Good.”
“Although Verity is not happy being denied a wedding to organise,” Julia said.
“Well, I for one was glad Verity was in charge at the meeting the other night,” Eve said. “She kept a tight hold on proceedings. There were one or two there who liked the sound of their own voices.”
“Like Audrey?” Julia said.
Eve turned to Lucy. “Do you really think she was trying to bump me?”
“It was just how it seemed from my perspective,” Lucy said. “I may have been wrong.”
“I doubt it,” Julia said.
“I hope so.” Eve sighed. “It took me a while but I forgave Audrey her fling with Rex a long time ago. Then last year when she broke her wrist and accused me of pushing her … well, it made it difficult to keep turning the other cheek.”
“I can’t imagine how I’d feel if Alec went off with someone else,” Lucy said. “But ‘forgiving’ doesn’t come to mind.”
“Nor to me,” Julia said.
“I always thought I was the wronged one,” Eve said. “Finding out Rex was still chasing other women was a terrible blow, but if he hadn’t been with Audrey it would have been someone else. This is a small town and we all have to live in it. I don’t think anyone else knew and Audrey certainly wasn’t going to blab, so I swallowed my pride and got on with life. It took me a while to stop avoiding her in those years after I discovered her affair with my husband, but she’s a hard worker, I’ll give her that. When we ended up on the same committee, I buried the past and moved on. I guess it’s Audrey that hasn’t.”
“She’s certainly been a thorn in your side, and going along with Norma’s accusation that you pushed her, that’s very nasty,” Julia said.
“It’s certainly made it difficult for me to forgive her again … but I’ll try.” Eve grinned. “Funny her calling us birds of a feather though. It’s what we’ve become, isn’t it … the three of us.”
Lucy shifted in her chair. “Yeah. I didn’t really get what she was on about with that.”
“We spend time together,” Eve said. “We have some similar interests, like the museum exhibit …”
“And Audrey disapproves of us,” Julia said.
“Oh, I see.” Lucy felt foolish. “It’s that saying. Birds of a feather—”
“Flock together.” The other two finished it with her.
Lucy laughed, Eve joined in and then Julia.
forty-one
Nine months later
It had been ideal autumn weather in Wallaby Bay for the whole weekend of the prawn festival – warm but not too hot. The sun was low in the sky, turning the plump clouds golden orange, and the sea breeze, barely more than a puff, gently ruffled the flags and pennants decorating flag poles and shop fronts through the main streets of town. Out on the bay and in the marina, thirty-nine prawn trawlers bobbed gently at anchor. They’d made a colourful display as they motored past the jetty two days prior, to begin the festival.
Julia and Glen were at the newly opened Jetty Seafood, seated at a table in the outdoor eating area closest to the beach.
“These chips are amazing,” Glen said. He waggled one in front of Julia and she took a bite.
“Mmm!” she murmured as the hot salty chip crunched in her mouth.
“I’ll have to find out where Alec gets them. Special caterer’s packs, I suppose.”
“No. He does them himself.” Julia helped herself to another. “They’re hand-cut chips; that’s why they’re so good.”
“Great food and wine.” Glen raised his glass. “A magnificent ending to a really well-organised weekend.”
Julia took a sip of wine and groaned. “For once I’m not busting to get back to work this week.”
“What! Don’t tell me workaholic Julia wants some extra time off.”
“It’s been full-on this last month. All the new students and I’ve got two extra to mentor as well as leading the research facility, which is ticking along extra fast at the moment.”
“I need to get back but you could always take a day off, work from home if you need.”
“Mmm! I might. But then your office is next door to mine and I find that distracting.”
“I thought you quite liked that arrangement.”
“I do.”
Glen had bought them a lovely place in what Adelaideans called the leafy suburbs. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the house he’d chosen for them, she’d fallen in love with it. The rooms were light and airy and there was a magnificent garden that felt like a park outside her office window. Glen had turned a bedroom into a large office for himself, given he worked at home most days. There was a spacious guest suite that Eve often used when she came to visit, and Glen had made some headway with his daughters and was hopeful they would visit soon. The location gave Julia easy access to the university. She’d insisted the house be in Glen’s name only. She’d kept her unit in Adelaide with her long-standing tenant but paid most of the utility bills for the place she shared with Glen.
“What are you smiling about?” He studied her, a smirk lurking on his lips.
“How good we are together.”
He pretended to choke.
She leaned in and kissed him, the salt on his lips adding to her own. She’d admitted it to him, and at last to herself, living with Glen made her very happy.
Lucy only had time for a quick glance at the view as she wove her way back through the thinning crowds to the shop.
“Lucy, hi!”
She turned and smiled as Jess came towards her, pushing a pram.
“Hello. How’s our little girl?”
“Sleeping at last.”
Lucy bent over the pram and smiled. Wisps of hair fluffed around the sleeping baby’s face. Her rounded cheeks were the softest pink and her rosebud lips moved gently in and out. Lucy’s heart melted at the sight of her. She’d been surprised how clucky spending time with Jess and the baby had made her.
“She’s adorable.” Lucy straightened. “Are you coming up to the flat later?”
“On our way soon. I’m just waiting for Chris. He was trying to find a safe park for the Torana.”
“I saw you go past in the parade this morning while we were setting up.”
“How’s it going?” Jess asked. “I hear you’ve been busy.”
“We’ve been run off our feet. We’re almost out of everything so Alec’s going to close soon. I just dashed out to get some milk for later.” Lucy lifted the container in her hand. “I’d better get back and help Alec. See you soon.”
Lucy moved on. She and Alec had become great friends with Jess and Chris. And Lucy and Jess had become especially close since the baby was born. She’d come early and there’d been feeding issues. Lucy had been glad to be the calm voice of common sense for her friend when she’d needed it. A close female friend of a similar age was a new experience for Lucy.
Speaking of friends, a few steps ahead of her she saw another familiar figure.
“Eve!”
“Hello, I was just heading your way.”
“Julia and Glen are already there. They’ve saved you a spot.”
“I just have to get the dog back. Some children have taken her for a quick walk on the beach.” Eve pointed below where Lucy could see a couple of teenage girls with a small white fluffball dashing between them.
“Poppy and Noah will be glad she’s with you. And I’m glad I’ve caught you before we’re all together.” Lucy drew Eve to one side, out of the walkway. “I’ve got a surprise and I wanted you to know before we tell the others.”
Eve’s eyes lit up.
