Page 73 of Return to the Waratah Inn

Jimmy was still talking, and she tried to focus on what he was saying, but all she could think was that her son was alive and seated right next to her. Her brain struggled to comprehend this truth.

“On the screen, we have a series of photographs of Allen throughout his childhood,” Jimmy said, pointing to a projected set of images.

Mima watched the slideshow play out across the screen as the audience cheered and clapped over photographs of little Allen playing on a seesaw, then digging a hole at the beach, riding on his father’s tractor, followed by teenaged Allen playing soccer in a blue-and-white jersey, riding a horse through the cane fields, attending a formal with a girl in a voluminous pink dress, him in a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath it.

The man seated next to her was forty-five years old. So much of his life had passed by without Mima even knowing he was alive. She’d been robbed of everything. And yet, all she wanted now was to get to know him, talk for hours, laugh together, spend what little time they had left as a family. She hoped he wanted the same thing.

She turned to look at him at the same moment that he shifted his gaze towards hers. His lips pulled up at the edges, eyes dark under the bright lights. She returned his expression through a veil of tears and squeezed his hand. “My boy,” she whispered beneath her breath. “You’re alive.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

February 1998

Kingscliff

As Kate pulled her car into the driveway, she admired the pink flowers adorning the crepe myrtle tree in their front garden. The bright pink tree looked like an enormous balloon amidst the green lilly pillies with small white flowers that surrounded it. She climbed out of the car and gathered her plastic shopping bags in both hands, then struggled inside. A slow cooker bubbled on the bench, and a delicious smell emitted from it. The dining table was set. Kate scanned the room, her eyes wide. After putting away the groceries, she went looking for Alex and Noah. She found them in the den.

On the TV behind Alex, an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond played. Alex stood in front of Noah’s bouncer, dancing to the intro music, with a floppy elf hat on his head, its legs flapping around his face as he moved. Noah kicked his legs, his little hands curled into fists as he pumped them.

Alex looked up and saw her, smiling widely. “Do you see that? He loves it.”

“You’re so funny. He does love it. Where did you find an elf hat?”

He shrugged and slipped it off his head. “We forgot to put it away after Christmas. It was over in the corner behind the couch. I lost the remote…” He waved a hand. “It’s a long story. Anyway, I found the remote and the elf hat, and I swear Noah smiled when he saw it.”

“You made dinner?” She went to him and kissed him on the cheek. “It smells divine.”

“Stew,” he replied. “Nothing special, but I felt like it. I bought some fresh bread rolls from the bakery, too.”

“Yum. I can’t wait.”

He sat on the couch, and she snuggled up beside him, tucking her legs beneath herself. Noah seemed content where he was for the moment, and she was grateful for the chance to rest.

“He was crying, so I tried a few things. Anyway, the bouncer and watching me dance seemed to do the trick.”

“He’s not crying now,” Kate replied, squeezing Alex’s hand.

“Nope, he’s not. Hey, we should eat. Dinner’s ready. And this way, we can go to bed early.”

Kate stood to her feet and yawned. “Sounds perfect. I’m ready to go to bed now, but I guess we’ll have to wait until Noah wants to sleep.”

Alex carried Noah to the kitchen and set him down on his play mat. Kate sat at the bench while Alex poured her a large glass of red wine.

“I shouldn’t…” she complained.

“You’ve got plenty of milk pumped in the fridge. Enjoy yourself.”

“You make a very good point.”

He poured himself a glass, and they clinked them together. “Cheers,” Alex said.

“We made it through the first month. That’s something to celebrate.”

Alex nodded. “It’s been a rough month, but we got through it together.”

“How was school this week?”

“It was good. I’ve got some decent classes, and the kids are behaving pretty well so far. Of course, it’s only the beginning of the school year, so we’ll see how they go later on. But for now, I’m happy to be back. It was good to have a break, though. I needed it.”