Page 74 of Return to the Waratah Inn

He dished stew up into two bowls and then added hot bread rolls to a plate and carried everything into the dining room. Kate sat opposite him and blew on her stew to cool it.

“It looks good. I’m so hungry. And we haven’t had stew in ages.”

“It’s not exactly summer food, but I had a craving.”

“Always give into your cravings, please.” She teased. “Comfort food works at any time of the year.”

“Hey, I spoke to one of the other maths teachers at school yesterday, and she said the baby might be crying so much because of a food intolerance. You could try removing some things from your diet, like wheat or dairy. Maybe it’ll help.”

Kate considered his words. “It couldn’t hurt to try. Thanks. I hadn’t really considered that before.”

As they ate, Kate watched Alex’s face light up when he spoke of their son. It warmed her heart to see him excited about his time with Noah, and she realised how worried she’d been that he hadn’t bonded as quickly as she had with Noah. Leaving him with the baby several times now had given them both a chance to get to know each other, to form a connection that they both needed. Love for both her boys washed over her, filling her heart with joy. They were going to be okay.

Chapter Forty

February 1998

Brisbane

The show was over. Mima clutched her purse to her side as she stood by her car, unwilling to leave, yet knowing she had to. She’d hoped she’d get to see Allen again after it ended, but he’d been caught up in some kind of meeting with the producers, and she’d been ushered out into the parking lot.

The studio doors whooshed open, and Allen stepped outside. He strode forwards with purpose, then noticed Mima and changed direction to walk to where she stood. He pressed his hands to his hips and shifted nervously in front of her.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m glad you hadn’t left yet. I was trying to get away…”

“It’s fine,” she replied. “I wanted to talk to you without the microphones and lights.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She inhaled a sharp breath. “I wanted to name you Oliver. And I thought you were gone. So, it’s going to take a bit of getting used to. I’m still trying to grasp the fact that you’re standing here, in front of me.”

“I’m sure it’s a shock. I wanted them to tell you everything, but they were adamant that it had to be a surprise. Do you want to grab some dinner and talk?”

She nodded. “That would be great.”

“We can go to my place, if you like. I’ll order Chinese.”

“Perfect.”

Allen’s flat was enormous. It sat on the top floor of an exclusive building with only six units in it. It was luxurious and modern, with a view of the city skyline. Mima sipped a glass of wine while Allen ordered Chinese food over the kitchen phone. She stared out across the city as the sun set behind the skyscrapers, musing over the series of events that’d brought her to that moment.

“Food is on its way,” Allen said.

They both sat on leather couches facing one another. One entire wall was windows looking over the brilliant colours of the setting sun. The kitchen and living rooms were one big open space, with an enormous piece of indigenous art in pinks and oranges on the living room wall.

“What do you do for a career?”

He leaned back to thread his fingers together behind his head. “I’m in technology. I started out coding, but then built a company of my own, developing custom software for corporate clients in the late eighties. A couple of years ago, I sold that company and invested in real estate and the stock market. Since then, I’ve lived off those investments, searched for you, travelled and basically tried to enjoy my life after many years of hard slog.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. And it sounds complicated. I’m not great at tech—I still haven’t quite figured out how to use a computer. And the whole modem thing is a mystery to me, that beep boop beep boop noise it makes, and I don’t know how to open my email or what to do with it. Kate’s showed me before, but it’s all out of my grasp. Now I have an expert to turn to.” She grinned. “A real computer genius.”

“Anytime you need help, give me a call.”

“I’ll remember that. By the way, your flat is lovely,” Mima said.

Allen glanced around. “Oh, thanks. Yeah, I like it. Not exactly what I’d pictured for myself, but it’s good.”

“What did you picture?”