Page 61 of Return to the Waratah Inn

“Yeah, it’s bad.”

Reeda squeezed her eyes shut. This day would never end. It just kept going from terrible to worse. She wasn’t cut out for this. It was one thing after the other. What would happen next? She’d assumed that Duncan would handle all of the medical stuff with the kids, but he was at work and there was nothing either of them could do about that. “Okay, I’ll pack a bag for the two of us and take her to the emergency room. We might be there for hours, so…”

“You will probably be there all night, the way those things go, so make sure you have food and water. I’ll get that together for you, if you do the clothes.”

“Thanks, Jen. I’m so sorry about this. I wanted to spend some time together.”

“Never mind. It’s going to be fine. You should probably give her some Panadol before you leave. And if you place a wet washer on her forehead, it will help cool her down a little too.”

Reeda blinked. “Okay, Panadol…”

“Do you have any for children? The liquid kind?”

Reeda shook her head. “I should’ve bought some. I didn’t think about it.”

“It’s fine—I brought some with me. You can use that.”

“Thanks again.”

“No worries. What are friends for?”

Reeda took Jen’s Panadol into the living room and sat on the couch by Carly. Carly climbed into Reeda’s lap, her eyes still fixed on the TV screen. She curled up and nestled her head against Reeda’s chest. Reeda looked at her, tears filling her eyes. Then she put her arms around Carly.

“You’re going to be okay, sweet girl. I’ll take care of you.” All of the pain and frustration of the past few hours faded away, and Reeda soaked in the precious moment with Carly in her arms. “Come on, have some of this medicine for me. And then we’re going to visit the doctor.”

Just then, Duncan burst through the front door. “Hey, I came as quickly as I could. Did you find her?”

Reeda sighed with relief at the sight of him. “I found her, but now Carly’s sick. I was about to take her to the hospital. Jen said she’d stay with the other kids for me.”

He set his medical bag down by Carly and squatted in front of her. “Not feeling well, huh? What seems to be the problem?”

“I’m cold and my throat hurts. My head is banging too.”

“Banging? Wow, that sounds like it hurts,” Duncan said, with a glance at Reeda. “Let’s take your temperature, okay?”

“I took it already, it’s over forty…” Reeda said.

Duncan stood up, pressed his hands to his hips. “Okay then, let’s go. I’ll drive.” He scooped Carly up into his arms and carried her to the front door. Reeda scurried after them, with Carly’s pink backpack, holding a water bottle, snacks, some Textas and a colouring book. She held the door open for Duncan, then watched as he buckled Carly into her seat.

Her heart filled with love for him. She’d needed him today and he’d arrived home at exactly the right moment. He was tender, caring and everything she’d known he would be as a father. Sometimes she’d wondered if she’d made the right choice in bringing these kids into their lives. But seeing him with Carly made her realise, even if nothing else worked out the way she’d hoped, he deserved this chance to be a father and she was grateful to finally be a mother.

Chapter Thirty-Two

January 1998

Coolangatta

Bindi waved her hand over her head to signal Reeda. She’d secured them a table at the Coolangatta Hotel for lunch. Their seats were on the verandah overlooking the beach. In the line of hoop pines outside, flocks of rainbow lorikeets squawked, their raucous cries drowning out the hum of car engines as they drove by.

“There you are,” Reeda said as she kissed Bindi on the cheek. “It’s good to see you.” She slumped into a seat.

Bindi frowned. Reeda was usually so poised, elegant and in control. But today, her usually straight hair was a tangle of waves, she wore a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Reeda leaned forward, elbows on the table, and rubbed her eyes. “I was up all night with a sick child. Carly had a terrible fever. I had to take her to the emergency room, and they made us wait there for hours.”

“I’m so sorry. Is she okay?”