This afternoon, Austin had stayed behind and Rowena had brought over her last load of meals. Tomorrow Tom would take over feeding the animals. Austin was keen to get away for a bit of a holiday before he went back to work and time was running out. Rowena didn’t want to leave but Dan’s last call had intimated they may be home from hospital soon and Tom could manage until then. Besides, if Rowena was in Adelaide she might get a chance to see the baby.

She glanced around the room that Paula had turned into a nursery. The cot Rowena had bought them was made up with a brightly coloured quilt. Dan’s old rocking horse sat in the corner and on the chest of drawers were several photos in frames. Rowena glanced at them. They were old black-and-white pictures and she couldn’t help but pick up the frame with the photo of Dan as a baby. Where on earth had that come from? She looked at the smiling face of her brother standing proudly with his wife and child.

“Daniel,” she murmured. “Why couldn’t you trust us?”

She looked at the other pictures, then placed the old family snap back beside them. Dan had his own family now, there was nothing more she could do.

Rowena locked up the house and drove back to her own. Austin was still sitting in front of the television where she’d left him.

“All done?” he asked as she poked her head through the door.

“Yes, Tom’s organised for tomorrow.”

“Good. There was a call while you were out.”

Rowena waited. Had Dan called with an update? A loud appeal drew Austin’s eyes back to the television.

“Who was it?”

The close-up of the umpire on the screen showed the batter wasn’t out.

“Austin?”

“I wrote you a note by the phone.”

Rowena turned to look and Austin’s voice called after her.

“It was your cousin. Jacinta had her baby a few days ago.”

* * *

Time was a blur to Paula. Since she’d arrived in Adelaide she had lurched between feeding, nappy changing, doctors’ visits and phone calls, and she’d had so many flower deliveries that her room resembled a florist. Dan was there, through it all, quietly hovering, but they were rarely alone for more than five minutes. She had left him in the nursery to try to get some sleep but she wasn’t having any luck.

The door of her room swung open and she sat up. Dan stepped through with a bundle of blankets cradled in his arms.

“Guess what?” His smile was stretched from ear to ear. “Our little man has improved so much he doesn’t need the monitors or the special crib any more.”

Paula stared as a little hand stretched out of the rug. Her heart skipped a beat. “Dan, are you sure? Did they say it was all right?”