Page 36 of The Cloud Catcher

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jay Maverick stood alone on the verandah of his Glasshouse Mountains home with his salt-and-pepper hair tousled by the late autumn breeze and his heart just as unsettled. Gazing out over their property, he wrapped his arms around himself, seeking comfort from the thick-knit sweater against the evening chill. In this moment, with the vast untainted land before him aglow beneath the full moon and his parents at the forefront of his mind, he ached with a weird kind of homesickness. It wasn’t for a place, but for the people who meant just as much to him as Zara, Amy and Lily. He felt as if time was speeding by, and he yearned for his mum and dad to get to know his two girls before they grew up way too quickly, but Nadine and Joseph Maverick were far away, following their nomadic dreams as they caravanned around Western Australia, while he stood on his stretch of earth on the opposite side of this great land. He could pinpoint when this uncomfortable sensation had started, but for the life of him he could not uncover why he felt this way. Either way, it was an overwhelming awareness that was causing him to question whether he should stay in a job that took him away from his three girls far too often. It was as if something far greater than himself was sending a message. Communicating that family was everything. And he definitely had to agree. Which meant things needed to change.

Turning with a weary sigh, he retreated into the warm embrace of his house, and his adoring wife. Like the earth angel she was, Zara greeted him with her wild, curly brown locks framing her face like a halo. Her sparkling eyes held not only undying love for him but also a promise of home — not just a physical place, but a feeling that resided deep within his heart. And hers. Exhaling as he sank down beside her on the couch where she was basking in the soft glow of the lamp and her latest romance novel, he couldn’t shake off the memory of his father’s voice during their phone call a few hours earlier. There had been an unfamiliar tremor there, a wavering that was unlike Joseph Maverick’s usual strength and certainty. And it had left him feeling unsettled, and incredibly unsure whether he should confront his father about his concerns. Joseph was not one for beating around the bush, and Jay knew it would upset his dad even more if he went to his mum about it.

It had to be direct, or not at all.

‘Is everything okay?’ Zara’s gentle inquiry pulled him back to the present as her hand found his without hesitation.

‘Yeah, sort of,’ he said with a forced smile. ‘Just thinking about Mum and Dad.’

‘Are you missing them, now they’re so far away?’ Zara’s empathy came naturally.

‘I am, quite a lot, and it’s weird, because I’ve had plenty of time away from them over the years,’ he admitted, his heart heavy with longing for their presence. ‘But there’s something else.’

‘What is it?’ Zara’s voice was soothing, inviting him to share his burdens.

‘It’s Dad. He’s …’ He half-shrugged. ‘I don’t know what it is, but he’s been acting strange during our last couple of phone calls.’ His voice trailed off as concern etched lines into his forehead.

‘Have you talked to him about it?’ Zara regarded him thoughtfully.

‘No, I haven’t.’ His conscience gnawed at him for not being more proactive.

‘Oh, Jay, why not?’ Reaching out, she placed her hand on his knee, stopping his leg from bouncing. ‘You two are super close, I’m sure you can ask him anything.’

‘I think I’m scared of finding out something I don’t want to know, like he’s sick, or maybe Mum is.’ His hands clasping tightly, he looked down at them with deep intent. ‘This is going to sound silly, but my parents are supposed to be invincible.’

Zara nodded. ‘Maybe it’s nothing,’ she offered optimistically. ‘Or maybe he needs you to throw him a lifeline, so he feels safe to talk about whatever it is.’ Pausing, she regarded him as she took a breath. ‘Either way, we won’t know until you ask.’

Nodding, Jay felt grateful for her clear perspective. ‘You’re right, I’ll make sure I raise it next time we talk.’

‘Good idea, and that way,’ her smile eased his concern, ‘you might find out you have absolutely nothing to worry about.’

‘I hope so, Za, I really do.’

They sat together in companionable silence, and he knew that whatever lay ahead, they’d face it as his parents always had — together, fearlessly, completely unbreakable. Then, needing a distraction from his oppressive thoughts, he lost himself in his latest aviation magazine as they snuggled closer together, enjoying their rare quiet with both girls fast asleep before their seven-thirty bedtime. And as time ticked past him, and he found himself totally immersed in the written word, the sound of crunching gravel under tyres jolted him from his reverie.

‘Are you expecting someone, my love?’ Pivoting, he looked over his shoulder and out the window.

‘Maybe,’ came her beaming-smile reply.

Gazing out the window, he watched the floodlights flash on as a familiar caravan pulled up. He immediately recognised the figures stepping out — his parents, Joseph and Nadine. ‘Zara Maverick, what have you been up to?’ A jolt of relief swirled with joyful surprise.

‘Don’t look at me. It was all their idea.’ She kissed his cheek. ‘Your mum thought it was about time they came back this way and stayed with us for a bit, and she wanted to surprise you.’

Jay couldn’t believe his wishes had come to such quick fruition. ‘Oh wow, that’s why I felt like something was off.’ A mix of surprise and concern gripped his heart as he jumped to his feet and dashed towards the front door. ‘You’re the best wife ever!’ he called over his shoulder.

Reaching the front of the house in record time, he swung the door open. ‘Mum, Dad, I can’t believe you’re both here!’

‘Surprise!’ they said in unison.

‘Is it ever!’ he replied. ‘Come in.’

Zara arrived at his side. ‘Mum, Dad, a big happy hello to you both!’

Hugs were shared all round before they made their way into the kitchen, where Zara told him to sit and catch up with his parents while she busied herself making a big pot of tea, and putting together a plate of her homemade chocolate chip cookies for dunking. Waiting for her to join them, while his father nipped to the toilet, Jay noted his mum’s typically bright blue eyes were now a stormy shade of grey, and her usual sparkle was replaced with an unnerving stillness. So maybe, God forbid, he’d been right in thinking something was wrong after all.

Reaching across the table, he placed a hand over hers. ‘Mum, is everything …’ he started, but his question was cut short as footsteps sounded behind him.