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A slow smile dawned on Dad’s face.He looked at his wife.“Rosemary, do you think… something like we used to have, just to fossick around on the river at weekends?”
“Oh, yes Dad, yes.”Avery clapped her hands together.“That would be so cool.I could take Bec and my friends from the orchestra out on it.”
Dad laughed.“Impromptu concerts on the river you reckon?”
Mum said thoughtfully, as she got up to clear the plates, “It would be nice to do more as a family.And, yes, I do think you need something other than work, Adrian.I guess it would be good for all of us to spend more time relaxing.It feels like years since we’ve focused on enjoying life.”
“And how about you, Carter?”Dad turned to him.“You’ve always talked about learning to sail.How about me teaching you the basics, then getting some lessons?”
A delighted grin spread across Carts’ face.“You bet!”
After she left Carts,Judith got busy.
Seated at her desk in her craft room, the place she always felt at her best, she sat and typed up an IOU agreement to send to Mark.Terms: one month to have the full $3000 back in her account.
Not.Negotiable.
If that didn’t work, she’d take Carts up on his offer to help with something more formal.But for now, she wanted to be the one to state her position clearly.On her own terms.
As she sent the email, she felt immensely pleased with herself.Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that, but at least she’d started to lay down the foundations.
Afterwards, she changed into jeans and sneakers, tugged a baggy jumper over her head, and coiled her long hair into a bun.
Then she headed for her parents’ house.
When she got there, she let herself in with her key.Dad was sitting in the living room watching a replay of yesterday’s footy match.Mum was nowhere to be seen.
Her heart dropped.“Where’s Mum?”
“She’s not got up yet.”
“How is she?”
“Subdued.But she’ll be glad to see you when she wakes up.”Dad flicked the top off his beer can with a fizz.“Why don’t you grab a beer and sit and watch the footy with me?”
She hadn’t had a beer in years, and she wouldn’t have a clue who was doing what in footy, but the sudden urge to just sit with her dad was overwhelming.
“Sure, is there a cold one in the fridge?”
“Yep, second shelf, grab yourself a glass.”
She got the beer and was just about to get a glass out of the cabinet when she halted.Why did she always need a glass?She tugged at the ring pull and cold beer fizzed out of the top.She licked it off and let the bubbles fizz on her tongue.She went over to the sofa, sat down next to Dad, crossed one leg over the other, and slurped loudly from the can.
He laughed.
“That’s not like you.”
She shot him a little smile.“Well, people can change, right?”
They sat and watched the game and she even found herself getting excited along with Dad as he barracked for his team.It used to be Dad and Pippa, shouting at the TV, both wearing their green and purple beanies and scarves, while Mum and Judith hid together upstairs, sewing, and Luke did his own thing.Poor Dad, he’d always hoped Luke would be into footy, but Luke had not been sporty at all, much to Dad’s disappointment.
Parents and kids.So many expectations.So many disappointments.Unless you just accepted each other for who you were.
She took another sip of beer and asked, “How are you feeling—about Pip’s news?”
He pursed his lips and shook his head.“You know, I’ve always suspected.Never said anything to your mum, but I often wondered…”
“You did?”She turned and looked at him, jaw slack.Dad, who always seemed oblivious to anything but building contracts and plans, who always changed the channel when anything about sex came on the TV.She hadn’t even twigged, and Dad had always suspected Pip was gay!
