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Back Fancy Meeting You Here Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. DEDICATION
  3. PART ONE
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. PART TWO
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  52. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

‘Yeah,’ said Meg.

Evie considered it for a while, then said, ‘I used to think it might. But Dad had never intended to stay in Australia until he met Mum. And when she got pregnant with me, she agreed they’d spend some time living in England while Granny and Grandpa were still young enough to enjoy their grandchildren. With me finishing Year 10, and Granny getting sick, I guess Dad thought it was then or never.’

‘I don’t really remember what it was like to live in Melbourne,’ Meg admitted. ‘I like going back there for holidays and going to Mentone and stuff, but London feels more like my home now.’

Evie let the memories of afternoons spent frolicking in the waves at Mentone Beach and eating fish and chips on the pier wash over her. Of melted ice-creams, and late nights playing Monopoly, and the snake-shaped sweets her mother used to reward her with after early-morning swim classes. The Australian part of her life seemed washed with a warm, yellowy glow, whereas those early years in London had been bogged down with dark greys and a smoky haze. Until she’d met Hugo, she’d always had a sense she’d go back and work in Australia for a few years. Ben had always said how great it would be to do some documentary projects there.

‘Maybe if they’d stayed in Melbourne, it would have been Dad giving Mum a hard time about moving. Maybe we can’t blame everything on grumpy old London. Plus, if we hadn’t come here, we would have never discovered this amazing place,’ said Evie brightly, gesturing to the pulsing crowd around them. ‘And it’s nice hanging out just us two.’

‘Yeah, good riddance I say,’ Meg declared, beginning to sound more like herself again. ‘Who needs them anyway!’

‘Yeah, who needs them!’ Evie said with forced bravado.

They continued on, finishing their lunch and revelling in the atmosphere swelling around them. Evie hoped her parents would stay together longer than they had last time around, for Meg’s sake. Meg, who gave off this aura of calm determination. Who often seemed wise beyond her years, but still slept cuddling her favourite stuffed toy dog.

In that moment, Evie vowed to be a better big sister. To not let herself become so consumed in her own feelings that she didn’t see her sister’s. Evie had, after all, already had years to grieve the loss of what she thought was the ultimate goal—a happy marriage and a happy family. But perhaps—and she couldn’t believe she was only just realising this now—a happy family didn’t have to come in the form of a predictable, nuclear one.

‘I got you, baby girl,’ Evie said, looking down affectionately at Meg.

Meg faltered for a moment, then said, ‘Don’t be lame, Evie,’ while smiling a broad, puppy dog smile.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Twenty-eight