AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We had stored them in a biscuit tin and placed them in the old eucalypt tree, a twisted and gnarled snow gum, on the border of our properties.
The headlights of Amanda’s car swept across the entrance and I met her in the loading zone.
“What are you thinking about?” Amanda asked.
“Thinking about biscuit tins, and spells, and blood oaths.”
She chuckled and pulled out of the hospital drive as I buckled up. “If memory serves me, I pledged always to be your best friend until the grave.”
We were rather dramatic in our teens.
“I think I wrote to never date your brothers.” Or was it brother, singular?
“We wrote our dreams as well. Mine was to travel the world and find the love of her life. And she did. Huh.”
“Mine was …” I frowned. God, what had I written? Be a world-famous winemaker? Run the winery? “Can’t remember.”
“Your dad will be okay,” Amanda said reassuringly, mistaking my inner turmoil.
Everything did look good for my father’s health, with rest and medication. All going well, he’d be out and back home within a week.
But I felt untethered. Twenty-six years old, with no dreams and no idea of her future.
* * *
Tom
I’d barely had four hours of sleep last night, lying in the dark worried about Angelo, and his family. I burst through the Stanmore Hospital doors just after the official visitor hours had started, asking for Angelo Zanetti.
A nurse immediately pointed down a hall. “Next ward along. He’s holding court this morning.”
Sure enough, he was sitting up in bed with Mama Z in the chair by his bedside. They were holding hands.
“What you doing here?” Angelo frowned.
“Checking to see you’re alright.”
“Why? You can call or ask my wife. You need to prepare for the wool clip.”
Mama Z whacked him on the arm. “Tell Thomas it’s nice to see him.”
Angelo huffed and puffed and then gestured to give him a hug, which I did. For a man who’d had a heart attack, he gave me a back-thumping embrace.
“I came to town for dog food and an order from the ag supplies store. Came in early so I could see you before I headed back home. Rosie’s got everything under control at the vineyard, I imagine.”
I’d messaged her earlier but hadn’t had a response.
“I’ll be out soon and will take over. Opera is only three weeks away. Much to do.”
“Rosie will have it covered. You need to rest.”
Mama Z wrung her hands. She looked like she’d had this argument several times before my arrival.
“All she does is wombats now.”
“Didn’t think it was only wombats.”
“She works at national park now.”
