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The following night, a different concierge called a taxi for Graysen. He’d picked up a pretty silver bracelet for Katy in the hotel gift shop, and once he was in the taxi, he asked the driver to call in at a bottle shop where he bought a bottle of Glenfiddich for Phillip, and a bottle of Bollinger for Janette.

He didn’t plan on staying too long, even though he hadn’t seen his friends since Marion’s funeral.

Janette wrapped her arms around him, and the sharp floral fragrance of her perfume hit Graysen hard. It was the same one Marion had always worn—Issey Miyake—and he knew straight away he’d made a mistake coming over.

‘Oh, Gray, it’s so good to see you.’ Janette blinked away tears. ‘I was so happy when Phil said you were in town. I’ve made the guest room up for you and I won’t take no for an answer.’ She reached up and put a hand to his face. ‘I know what you’re like.’

Graysen managed a smile. ‘I’m paying top dollar for the Intercontinental.’

‘I don’t care. I’m not letting you go back to a lonely hotel room. You and Phil can sit and have a yarn. I’m sure the young ones will be heading out to a nightclub after dinner. It gives me a chance to babysit.’

‘Babysit?’

‘You’ll see.’

In the end, Graysen stayed, and enjoyed himself. Sitting back and being cocooned in the warmth of the family—Phil and Janette had two sons and Katy. They all had partners and he was surprised to see two grandchildren.

‘Yes, Uncle Graysen. We’ve grown since we last saw you.’ Katy took his arm after he had greeted her with a kiss to her cheek. ‘Come and sit down with your favourite goddaughter and tell me all the places you’ve been. David and I are going to travel before we settle down, so I’m going to pick your brains tonight.’ She squeezed his hand, and her voice was gentle. ‘It’s so good to see you. We’ve missed you and Aunty Marion.’

‘Thanks, Katy. It’s nice to hear her name spoken. I’ve been a bit of a loner since I left Australia after the funeral.’

‘We know. The only way we ever know where you are is to see you credited as the photographer in magazine articles and blogs these days.’

He chuckled. ‘So, if you’re reading them, you know where I’ve been.’

‘Some of the places. Now tell me why you’re home? Are you going to stay in Sydney? Are you going to retire? Dad’s talking about it. David and I have been learning a lot about the business. My two useless brothers couldn’t tell the difference between a camera and a Smart Watch.’

‘Your dad’s got a good five years on me. But no, I’m not thinking of retiring. I love the travel and I love the places that I get to see and photograph.’

‘So, you’re just here to buy more equipment? That was a top-class lens you bought today. Where’s your next shoot?’

‘It’s good to know that you’re interested in the business. And to answer your question, I’m heading to Central Australia. Would you believe in all my travels, it’s one place I’ve never seen or photographed?’

‘Uluru at sunset? Overdone.’ She pulled a face.

‘No, the Larapinta Trail.’

‘Really! David and I did that a couple of winters ago. It will be really good for you.’

‘Good for me?’

‘You’ll see. The whole landscape is a very spiritual place. Sacred sites, Indigenous artworks and several archaeological sites. Are you doing the full walk?’

‘I am.’

‘The track is also home to what they call “song lines” or you might have heard of dreaming tracks. The one near Mt Sonder was incredible. Trust me, Uncle Gray, it will touch you.’ She held his eyes. ‘And it will heal you.’

##

Three days later, Graysen’s gear was sorted and placed in storage at the hotel. His luggage for Central Australia consisted of a backpack, his laptop, a large, and a small camera bag, and an extendable tripod.

‘You sure do travel light, Mr Hughes,’ Craig said as he walked out and summoned one of the taxis waiting across from the gracious sandstone building.

‘Best way to travel.’ Graysen nodded.

‘You enjoy your Larapinta trek. We’ll see you in a few weeks.’

‘Thanks, mate. You’ve been a great help.’