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Waverley stirs first, and then I feel Mase at my back, reaching in to tap Ellis on the leg. “Leave him,” I tell him.
“Mummy,” Ave croaks, a slow sleepy smile spreading across her lips. “Is it morning?”
I shake my head, waiting as she sits herself up. Ellis stirs awake and pushes up onto his elbows. “What time is it?” he asks, his voice too loud for the sleeping house.
“Shh,” Mase soothes. “Everyone’s asleep, mate.”
“I was sent home from work after an incident at the hospital,” I explain to them.
“What happened?” Ave asks.
“A patient got upset and hurt me.”
“Are you okay now?” Ellis asks, looking me over, his eyes catching on my jaw.
“I’m fine,” I say with a chuckle, twisting my neck to see Mase. He’s leaning against the nook door, his head ducked to see inside. He gives me a warm, encouraging smile. I take a second to find my words. “Your dad hurt himself, though, Ave.”
“I know that already. He fell off his bike.”
I shake my head. “No, baby, he hurt himself tonight. He came to find me when I was calling out for help and damaged his leg worse than before. He needed surgery.”
“But I thought he was coming home soon… so that… so that I could go to Uncle Elliot’s old house and meet him.” She looks up at Mason, tears filling her eyes. “You said I’d be able to redecorate a room there, too.”
“You still can,” I promise. “You’ll be able to do all of those things, okay?” She looks back at me, face sad. “I wanted to ask you if it would be okay for your dad to stay here while he gets better. He needs someone to look after him and make sure he can recover fully—”
Her eyes widen. “Here?”
I nod. “If that’s okay with you. He’d stay until he’s able to get around and look after himself.” I take her hand, needing her to listen. To understand the best she can. “Once he’s better, he’ll go back to his new house. I don’t want to confuse you, Ave. He’d only be here for a little while, and then he’d be back in the city where you’d visit.”
“My dad is going to come and stay here?” She beams.
I sigh, giving her the best fake smile I can muster. “Yeah.”
“Thank you!” she tells me, pushing up onto her knees to cuddle me. She pulls back and holds my face in her small hands, her nose brushing mine. “Just like Papa Lowell.”
“What—what do you mean?” I frown.
“When he was sick and needed you. You’re going to help my dad like you did Papa Lowell.” She kisses my forehead. “You’re the best mummy in the whole wide world.”
I open my mouth to speak, to say something, anything. But the words I need are tangled and lodged with the lump in my throat.
“She is the best,” Mason whispers. “You’re lucky, sweet Ave.” He smooths his hand over her soft brown hair. “Ellis, up, mate. You have school in the morning.”
Ellis shuffles past us and out of the nook. I can tell he’s feeling a little put out at the news. He’s more than a little protective of his cousin.
I take Ellis’s place on the makeshift bed and lie on my back next to Ave, staring up at the lights.
“Where will he sleep? And when is he coming home? Can I come with you to get him?”
I chuckle and take her hand, pulling her to lie in the crook of my arm. “We’ll figure it all out in the morning, okay?”
“He can sleep in here.”
I sigh and hold her tighter. “He’ll have his own room. You can help me get it ready if you want.”
She nods. “What’s his favourite colour? We can get paint and new bed covers.”
I want to tell her all the things. Everything I know. But the churning ache in my gut tells me to wait. To let them figure it out on their own. “When you meet him, you can ask him.”
