Page 58 of Return to the Waratah Inn

Reeda looked at her watch. School would’ve finished by now.

“When will they get home?” Jen asked.

“Sometime in the next hour or so.”

“I’m sure they’re fine, Reeda. Don’t worry. They’ve been to school before.”

“Not this school.”

“They’ll be okay. Hey, do you remember that time we had the water balloon fight on our first day of year six?”

“How could I forget? You used a balloon filled with flour on Steven Norton right after I’d slapped him with a water balloon. He was covered from head to toe in flour all day long.” Reeda chuckled.

Jen shook her head. “Poor Steve. I wish I knew where he was so I could apologise.”

“We really had no sympathy back then.”

“We got as good as we gave,” Jen replied. “I was soaked.”

“That’s true. We had a lot of fun, though.” Reeda’s lips pulled up at one corner. “Those were the good old days. Back before everything changed.”

Jen’s smile faded. “Yeah, before the…”

“Accident,” Reeda finished for her.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bum you out.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it these days.”

“It’s good you’ve worked through all of that pain. I know how much it troubled you for a long time. I’m proud of the work you’ve done.” Jen gave her a hug. Reeda was so grateful for a friendship that had lasted so long. She didn’t have to put into words how she felt. Jen simply knew.

While they waited for the kids to get home from school, she took Jen and her family for a swim in the pool. They had a great time. Sam wore floaties on his little arms, and Mabel wore a vest. Mabel stayed close to Jen, spending most of the time attached to her mother or jumping off the edge of the pool for Jen to catch her. But Sam was more adventurous, bombing into the pool and kicking his way back to the side on his own.

They didn’t last long, as they grew cold and tired quickly. So, Jen took them to the bathroom to shower and change while Reeda put together a platter of cheese, biscuits and olives for the kids when they got home from school. She looked at her watch every five minutes or so, the nerves in her belly building with each passing minute.

Where were they?

Just then, the front door swung open, and she saw Carly in her new blue-chequered dress toss her schoolbag to the floor and kick off her joggers. She ran into the kitchen and stopped short. Reeda thought it looked like she was happy to see her, but she quickly pushed the excited look from her face and returned to her usual expression of apathy.

“Hi,” Reeda said. “Did you have a nice day?”

Carly nodded.

Marc sauntered into the kitchen behind her in his grey buttoned shirt and grey shorts. “I’m starving.”

“Good afternoon, Marc. I hope you had a nice time at school.” Reeda offered them both as wide and warm a smile as she could muster. “Where’s your sister?”

Carly looked at Marc, who shrugged. “Can I get something to eat?”

“Wash your hands. I’ve got a platter I’ll put out on the patio for you. And we use manners in this house, which means saying please.”

“Please,” Marc replied with an eye roll.

Reeda set everything up on the glass table on the patio for the two children, then sat down with them. “Carly, Marc, where is Simone?”

Marc ignored her. Carly chewed on a piece of biscuit with cheese. “She’s at school.”

“Why didn’t she get on the bus with the two of you?”