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Mum was addicted toMy House Rulesor any home renovation show. Creative expression had always been her therapy.
‘It looks gorgeous.’ I turned to her with an impressed smile.
‘Thanks, Naomi. You know I love to mix things up around the house when inspiration strikes.’ Her voice was peppered with passion as she beamed, and I could tell I’d made her feel good about her quirky choices.
‘Yes, you’re always changing things around.’ I nodded in agreement. ‘By the way, the roast smells amazing.’ I breathed in the rosemary, garlic, and lamb scents wafting from the oven.
She blushed. ‘I’m glad you said that. I get nervous cooking for you, when you’re the star cook of the house.’
I laughed, surprised. Mum had spent years working in Melbourne’s most prestigious bakeries.
‘Mum, you know I love your meals, but I’m the last person you need to impress, plus you’re the dessert queen in this house,’ I assured her with a grin.
‘I’m glad you say so, Naomi Jean, and, oh, thank you, sweetheart. Most importantly, though, I’m just glad we’ve got food on the table.’
A pang of guilt ran through me for shopping this afternoon. And Mum being Mum, of course, read my mind by bringing up saving money.
‘How is saving going? Are you saving much?’ She looked straight into my eyes as she asked those questions.
‘Umm … good,’ I lied and nodded casually while looking over her shoulder.
‘Naomi, why don’t I believe that? Is Daniel paying you properly?’ Her tone shifted to concern as she folded her arms.
‘Yes, Daniel has been paying me the right amount,’ I said as nonchalantly as possible.
‘Well, I remember that time he underpaid you by three hundred dollars.’ Her blue eyes flickered with anger, but she remained composed. ‘I’m glad you caught him out and got the correct pay, but I had to stop myself many times from going inthere and talking to him, but, of course, I wouldn’t because I respect your privacy and need for independence.’
Mum reminding me of that made my face crumple, and I let out a sigh. Typical Daniel, taking advantage of an overworked staff member who had slaved away for six split shifts in a row. I’d done Tuesday to Sunday with morning starts. He thought he’d get away with underpaying me because it added up to more than he’d realised and must’ve assumed I wouldn’t notice. I was thankful I took a photo of my timesheet and recalculated the hours, or he might have gotten away with it.
‘Yeah, thank God, I took that photo of my timesheet.’
Mum nodded, and her face switched to a look of concern again. ‘Carlos and I miss having you here.’ She reached out to fix a lock of my hair that had fallen out of place. ‘Please know the door is open for you any time. I would much rather have you come back home and save for your future than live with Debra. Not that I have anything against Debra, of course. It’s just she’s not …’, she paused, searching for the right word, ‘wisewith money.’
I thought of our pink Mecca shopping bags. ‘I know, Mum, but I love living out of home. It’s fun, and it gives me freedom.’ My words came out a little more rushed than I would have liked.
‘Okay, Naomi.’ She looked at me closely. ‘As long as you’re saving and happy – that’s the main thing.’
I smiled, hoping I looked believable. ‘I am. I promise.’
It was obvious Mum hadn’t quite bought my story, but I busied myself setting the dining table, mostly so I could turn my back to her and not lie any further. There was a colourful silk cloth draped over the table and proper linen napkins neatly folded in golden napkin rings. I fetched the polished cutlery – as fancy as the utensils used in any local five-star restaurant – and sat water glasses on agate crystal coasters. The flame from the tealightflickered inside the pewter holder and cast petal-like shapes against the rich silk of the tablecloth.
‘Dinner’s ready,’ Mum called loud enough for the whole house to hear as she began slicing the roast with a carving knife and fork.
Within seconds, Carlos emerged and sat at the head of the table without looking at me. He was wearing Dad’s old blue-and-white checked, button-up shirt. In fact, the whole resemblance between those two was uncanny. The same blue eyes, chocolate hair, fair skin, and koala nose. Carlos and I got our wild curls and pearl skin from Dad, and sometimes it was hard to look at him without tearing up. Even his mannerisms were the same as Dad’s – the way his lip twitched when he was concentrating or the way he stood with his hand on his hip while stirring something in the frypan.
‘Hey, Naomi.’ He gave his usual closed-lip smile, and I could tell he was glad to see me.
I smiled at him in a way I hoped was encouraging. ‘Hey, Carl. Excited for dinner?’
‘You bet.’
‘Me too. I always look forward to our family meals.’ I pulled out the chair one down from him and sat.
He eyed me suspiciously. ‘Well, if you came back home, you could have them every night.’
‘I enjoy living out of home, Carl. And now that it’s holidays, my shifts are consistent, so I wouldn’t be home for dinner anyway. I’m enjoying the steady work; I dread going back to lousy shifts where Daniel has me on call.’
Carlos’s brown curls bounced as he nodded. ‘Yeah, I get it. Naomi. You don’t need to make excuses. I guess Deb’s more important now.’
