Page 12 of Return to the Waratah Inn

The day was already hot. Oppressive, humid air enveloped her like she’d stepped into an oven. Noah was a tiny hot-water bottle attached to the front of her body, and before long, she had sweat dripping down the sides of her face. It was early. A pair of currawongs perched on the fence, warbling as they eyed her breakfast from their vantage point. Noisy minors objected from a nearby wattle bush, scolding and chattering as they dive-bombed the two larger birds, who ignored their attacks. It wouldn’t be long before the world would fall quiet as even the birds sought shelter from the heat, but for now, the chorus of birds that accompanied every sunrise added a melodic soundtrack to the flat suburban landscape. She scooped the last of her porridge into her mouth, then hurried back inside to switch on the air conditioner and fans.

The kitchen phone rang. and she set down her bowl and tea mug on the bench before answering it.

“Hi, Kate,” Bindi said in a chipper voice. “I thought I might drop in. I made a chicken salad for tea and set aside a bowl of it for you and Alex.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Bindi and Josh were in Banora Point, so Kate had about fifteen minutes before her sister arrived. She set Noah in the bouncer, carried him in his seat into the bathroom, and took a shower. Every now and then she thought she heard him cry, but when she opened the foggy shower door, he was fine, staring at the colourful bobbing toys that were suspended above his face. He couldn’t reach them yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

She dressed in a pair of shorts and a cotton shirt, then carried Noah in his bouncer out to the kitchen and set him on the floor beside her. With the kettle boiling, she added a deliciously scented floral tea to a pot, placed it on a tray, and prepared two teacups alongside a plate of caramel slice. She hadn’t craved sweets while she was pregnant, but now that she was breastfeeding, it felt as though she couldn’t get enough.

When Bindi arrived, Kate embraced her as though she hadn’t seen her sister in a decade. She felt emotional about everything, even a visit from Bindi.

“I can’t stay long,” Bindi said as she carried the salad to the kitchen and stowed it in the fridge. “I’ve got a million things to do today, and I’ve got to be at the inn by noon. We’re fully booked this weekend, and with you out of action, I’m scheduled on most days. I don’t think I have a day off for two weeks.”

“Sorry about that,” Kate said, feeling guilty for leaving her sisters to cope with everything on their own.

“Don’t be sorry. You’ve got a baby to care for. And he is the most adorable baby in the world.” Bindi devolved into baby talk as she tickled Noah’s cheeks. He sucked his lower lip and stared at her, pumping his feet.

“I feel like I’m missing everything.”

“You’re not missing a single thing,” Bindi said. “It’s all the normal stuff. I promise I’ll let you know if anything interesting happens.”

“Okay.” Kate nodded. “Let’s sit and have a cup of tea.”

“I wish I could,” Bindi replied. “Rain check?”

Kate’s heart fell. “Oh… yeah. Okay, that’s fine.”

“At least you’ve got tea sorted,” Bindi replied as she headed for the front door.

Kate traipsed behind her. “Yeah, thanks for that. Very thoughtful of you.”

After Bindi was gone, Noah began to cry. He wanted to be fed again, so Kate put the TV on and sat down to feed him. She was yawning widely when there was a knock at the front door. She stared down the hallway, not wanting to disturb the baby. Every part of her body hurt, and detaching him now would be painful. She still wasn’t used to feeding, and she had no desire to stand up and cause him distress and herself more pain. Whoever it was would have to come back later.

There was another knock. She ignored it and turned up the volume on the TV. The news came on, and there was some kind of report about a woman called Monica Lewinsky. She couldn’t follow the story, since the knocking on the door kept distracting her. Who could it be? A door knocker, someone trying to sell her the latest vacuum cleaner? Or someone she knew?

When the phone rang, she stood with a deep exhale of irritation stared down the hallway. It could be the insurance company, she’d been missing their calls for days and they really had to make changes to the home policy since the renewal charges were out of control. Noah began to cry immediately. His tiny newborn wail was adorable and demanded attention. She held him against her skin as she padded into the kitchen to answer the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Katie. It’s Reeda. I’m standing at your front door. Are you home?”

“Oh, I wondered who it was knocking like that. I’ll be right out.”

She let Reeda in and then wandered back to the lounge room with Reeda behind her. Her bra was still undone, and her shirt hitched up her back. Her hair was a mess. She hadn’t brushed it since her shower, and she was certain there was enough luggage under her eyes to take a trip to London.

“Are you okay?” Reeda asked, barely veiled concern in her voice. As the eldest sister, Kate was used to Reeda’s mothering. She’d basically raised Kate and Bindi since they were in their early teens.

“Fine. Tired.” Kate yawned again and sat down to feed Noah. “He doesn’t stop feeding. Eat, poop, cry. That’s his basic routine.”

“I’ve heard that’s how it goes at first,” Reeda replied as she sat across from Kate, her brow furrowed. “He’s the sweetest thing, though.”

“He really is. His eyes are this dark blue, and he’s started to really look at me. He’s still so tiny, though. I guess I wasn’t expecting him to be quite so small.”

“I brought you a cinnamon tea cake and some lasagna,” Reeda said, holding up a cold bag before setting it on the floor by her feet.

“That’s so nice of you. We’ll be well fed. Honestly, I can’t bring myself to cook anything because before I can even get started, he’s already screaming.”