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“Of course. Come and open it while I make the tea.”
Leah sat down on the stool at the bench and pulled the present to her. It was light, but big. Ripping the paper off, it was just a cardboard box. Pulling the lid open, she burst out laughing. “That’s evil. I’m not keeping it.” It was a rubber fish, nailed to a wooden board. Leah knew, if she pressed the button at the base of the board, the thing would start singingTake Me to the River.
“Yes, you are. I’ve got two more at home.”
“Why the hell do you have three?”
“Trivia night.” Mikayla held up her hand and counted out on her fingers. “Raffle at the pub. And then a work fundraiser. Seriously, I’ve never seen the bloody thing before and now I’ve got three. Well, two. But Juniper’s birthday’s just around the corner. You can take a guess at what she’s getting, so then I’ll be down to one.” Mikayla chuckled. “But your real present is also in there. Have a look.”
Leah reached inside and took out a gift, wrapped in tissue paper. Ripping the paper open, she gasped. It was a large, ceramic plate – obviously Juniper’s work – and a cartoon painting of the backs of three women; A blonde, a redhead and a brunette, their long hair wild, the mood was strong and free. They were each holding an arm in the air, and their raised hands were joined. Mikayla had obviously painted the wording around the edge of the plate. “Sisters from different Misters”. The strokes were impatient, but it was neat and beautiful and Leah was going to treasure it.
“Mikayla, it’s beautiful.” She pulled her friend in for another hug, swallowing around the lump in her throat.
“I wanted to say ‘sisters from shitty misters’ but my dad’s not so I had to rein in the funny. I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.”
“So, what are we going to do for your birthday?” Mikayla placed Leah’s tea on the bench, taking her own cup and wrapping her fingers around it as she leaned against the counter. She looked at Leah for a long moment. “Callum’s playing at the musical festival tonight.” Every year, on the last weekend in January, Blessed Inlet threw a massive music festival. There were food trucks, musicians and dancers lining the main street all day. Then, as the sun set, everyone moved to the sports oval, where a stage was set up and a band played into the night.
Leah jolted at the sound of his name. “How is he?”
“Suffering. Missing you,” Mikayla said quietly.
“Right. I don’t want to see him yet. I was gonna text him tomorrow. I’ve made a list.”
Mikayla’s lips curved in a smile. “Have you now? What kind of list?”
“A list of demands. Things that I want him to give me if we’re going to have a future together. If he wants a future, that is.”
“Ooh, I love the sound of that. He wants a future with you. More than anything,” Mikayla said reassuringly. “And regarding the demands, you could ask him to castrate himself and he wouldn’t hesitate. He’s got it bad, let me tell you.”
Leah laughed, her heart singing a little. “I’m definitely not going to ask him to do that. I much prefer him whole.”
“Good. Okay, so no music festival tonight then. How about I message Juniper and we head into Genoa for dinner? Maybe find a nice pub, have a dance. You can do my makeup.”
“Oh, no. You don’t want to miss Callum playing.”
“Well, I’m not leaving you alone on your birthday and you don’t feel comfortable going to the festival, so…” Mikayla shrugged.
Leah was struck by the stark difference between Mikayla’s response and her father’s, regarding seeing Scott at church. “Maybe it’s God’s will that I go to the music festival.”
“What the fuck?”
Laughing, Leah told Mikayla about the confrontation with her father.
“What a dick.”
“Yeah.” She thought about it for a long moment. “How about we go to the music festival, but sit up the back, far away from the stage. If we go after dark, he won’t see me. I’ll sneak out before the end, then text him tomorrow when I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Great. I’ll organize it. But I think I’ll pick you up, so you aren’t rocking up by yourself.”
“That would be lovely, thanks.”
***
