Page 57 of Return to the Waratah Inn

January 1998

Kingscliff

When Reeda opened the front door and saw her friend Jennifer standing there, she almost wept. She embraced Jennifer and then kissed her two kids on the cheek as she ushered them into the house with all of their luggage. Little Mabel was two years old. Reeda hadn’t seen her in months, and she’d grown so much in that time. Sam was four years old and looked sweet and guileless with his blond hair and big brown eyes, but Reeda knew he could be mischievous if he chose to be.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “I’ve got tea and cake in the kitchen. Come with me, and I’ll show you to your room.”

She helped them carry their bags into the second guest room. Then she returned to the kitchen to finish making a jug of fresh-squeezed lemonade for the children and a pot of tea for the adults. She was excited to have Jennifer come to stay. They’d organised this trip prior to the foster children’s arrival, and now that they were here, Reeda was nervous about how it’d go. She hadn’t seen Jen in so long. She’d been looking forward to spending time together, but how would the kids take having guests in the house? Ever since the incident in the pool almost a week ago, there’d been a kind of détente between her and the children. They’d found a rhythm for their daily life, and today was their second day of school in the new school year. So far, it seemed to be going well.

When Jennifer returned to the kitchen, Reeda set the kids up with colouring books and plates of snacks at the table while she and Jen went outside to sit on the patio with a glass of wine and some cake.

“This is much better than tea. Cheers.” Jen tapped her glass against Reeda’s.

Reeda took a sip. “I thought you might need it after transporting two small children on a plane.”

“You’re so right.” Jen shook her head. “And how are things going for you? Are any of the kids here?”

“They’re at school. They started yesterday. I drove them there and back yesterday, made sure they had everything they needed, and got them settled in. But they’re catching the bus home today for the first time. So, fingers crossed it all works out.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“They’ve caught busses before—they assured me of that. And the school provides teachers to guide the kids to the right bus. I used to catch the bus when I was a kid, but I’ve never been the parent before. And I didn’t realise how stressful the whole thing is for parents.” She said.

“Parenting can cause a lot of anxiety, if you let it. But you’re dealing with a whole different set of issues as well, which I’m sure makes it tricky for you.”

“It’s challenging, but hopefully things will even out over time. They’ve been pretty easy the past few days. They’re really sweet kids. The youngest, Carly, is only six, and she’s the cutest little thing. It breaks my heart to think what they’ve been through to get to this point.”

“Do you know much about their past?”

“They’ve been in their mother’s custody until recently. But she’s a drug addict and was sent to prison. I’m not sure what happened to their father, he abandoned them years ago.”

“That’s awful. Such a tumultuous upbringing would be hard on a kid. Not knowing who to rely on, or where you’re going to stay from one day to the next—I can’t imagine how that must feel.”

“Their parents are originally from Burma. They came here as refugees in the 1980s before they had the children. So, they don’t really have any extended family here.”

“Wow. Well, you’re doing a good thing. You and Duncan opening your home to these children will hopefully give them at least a little bit of love and stability in a really difficult situation.”

“We have no idea how long we’ll have them, but I’m hopeful it will be for a while.”

Reeda glanced through the glass sliding doors at Jen’s two children. They were both adorable, with their wispy blond hair and brown eyes, bent over their colouring books as they ate and chattered away together. So well-behaved, so content in their play.

“Your kids are growing up so fast. They’re gorgeous.”

Jen nodded. “They can be. They’re on their best behaviour since we’re travelling, and they were so excited to get on the plane and come to the Gold Coast to see their Aunty Reeda.”

“One of the things I miss most about Sydney is seeing you and your family whenever I liked.”

“Well, it’s a pretty short flight, so you’re welcome anytime. And I’ll try to come see you as often as I can. It gets harder and harder as the kids grow up, though.”

“Have you heard anything about my business? How is it going?”

“You can’t help yourself, huh?” Jen teased.

“You know I can’t. I built that thing from the ground up. It was my first baby.”

“Karen seems to be doing really well. I see her every now and then. She was at a movie night recently with the old crowd. And from what I hear, she’s managing the place to the standard you trained her. You should be proud.”

Reeda was proud, but she also missed the bustle of doing business in the city. Her interior design work in Kingscliff and on the Gold Coast wasn’t nearly as impressive as what she’d managed to achieve in the Sydney market. She’d loved dressing up each day, meeting with high-level clients, and doing challenging work. But it was a trade-off—she enjoyed the lifestyle where she lived now. Plus, she was much closer to her sisters, an integral part of the family business at the Waratah Inn, and her relationship with Duncan was better than ever before. She had a lot to be grateful for.