BooksBarbecue
Back Fancy Meeting You Here
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

But as they reached the kitchen the shouts subsided and, in their place, came the sound of a struggling gasp.

‘Peter!’ Anna cried.

The four of them rushed into the kitchen to find Peter bent over in his chair, red-faced and clutching at his chest, struggling to breathe.

‘Daddy!’ screamed Meg, hugging him.

Anna patted him frantically on the back, looking stricken and helpless.

‘Mum, what happened?’ Evie asked.

‘I don’t know! I don’t know!’

Then Evie remembered seeing her dad like this years ago when he was still taking Parnate. They’d been eating pizza and the aged cheese hadn’t mixed well with his medication. Thank god they had been just around the corner from the hospital—Evie shuddered to think what might have happened otherwise. But now the closest hospital was at least half an hour away, at best.

‘There’s some parmesan mixed through the dish,’ Evie spluttered, grabbing at her phone.

‘What!’ Anna yelled, staring at her wheezing husband.

‘I’m sorry! I forgot! It’s been so long since he’s not been able to eat it! Oh my god, I’m so sorry!’ Evie began to hyperventilate as she desperately fumbled with the buttons on her phone. Her trembling hands made it impossible. She heard Ben say something about calling an ambulance, and then the phone was no longer in her hands and, instead, was pressed against Ben’s ear. In spite of the chaos, he appeared calm, in control.

‘It’s been so long?! Evie! I remind you every bloody day. My god, what have you done!’ Anna’s face paled as she took Meg in her arms.

Peter was still hunched over in pain. Hugo grabbed Evie’s hand.

Oh my god. I’ve killed Dad.

THIRTEEN

Thirteen

Evie scrubbed despondently at the red stain on the bench in front of her, her brow furrowed and her eyes hazy. Last night had been horrific, and she was trying to erase the memory of it from her mind. Thank god for Ben, who’d taken charge amidst all the panic, ringing an ambulance which, thankfully, arrived only minutes later. He’d briefed the paramedics and they’d rushed her dad to hospital. Meg had been inconsolable and had insisted on sleeping with their mother. Consumed with guilt, Evie had cried into Ben’s shoulder, wailing, ‘This is all my fault.’ Hugo had been reassuring and sympathetic but naturally awkward given how new everything was.

At the hospital, she’d encouraged Ben and Hugo to head home once they knew her dad was going to be okay. With the danger having passed, she now felt totally embarrassed that Hugo had witnessed the whole debacle. She’d tried to ring him in the morning on her way to work, but only got his voicemail, so she’d texted him to apologise. There was no response, and she wondered if she’d completely buggered things up.