I scanned the menu. ‘A burger and a chai,’ I said, hoping it was the chai in the Aboriginal flag-coloured packaging and that Caitlin would have no complaints about me ordering a burger at McLean’s because it was all organic.

When we sat in the alfresco area of the store I said, ‘Do you think that fast food stores will start releasing an organics line?’

Caitlin laughed. ‘That would never happen.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because organic food is all about quality. It takes time and money to produce quality. Fast food companies want to produce things cheaply, pay staff minimally and don’t really care about the wellbeing of people.’

Trent’s mum came and served the pot of peppermint tea and chai, followed shortly after with our food.

‘This is better than any fast food you’ll ever taste,’ Caitlin said as I bit into my burger.

I looked at the table of mums sitting nearby. They didn’t have kids with them, but I knew they were mums by how they were dressed in their plain T-shirts, summer dresses and fancy thongs. Like my mum, they were making the most of their downtime.

I wondered what Mum was doing and saw a vision of her sitting in the sun with a glass of bubbles in hand.

I didn’t want to think about her, but with the disappointment of no Trent in sight, the negativity started to come flooding in.

I chewed on my burger and watched Caitlin take a sip of her coffee, jealous of how strong and firm her arms and shoulders were from all of the yoga.

‘How old are you, Caitlin?’

‘Age is kind of irrelevant,’ she said.

‘Oh, come on. How old are you?’

She gave me a little smile and took another sip of her tea.

‘Twenty-five,’ I guessed, thinking she could perhaps be a little bit older because of the grey in her hair, but I wanted to play it safe for once. I didn’t want to deliberately piss her off and cause an argument with Trent’s mum around.

She laughed. ‘That’s really kind, You’re joking, right?’

‘No.’

‘I’m thirty-five.’ Caitlin took a mouthful of quinoa salad.

What?! I could not believe it. She was only five years younger than Mum but honestly didn’t even look thirty. Sure she has some grey hairs but she’s hardly got a wrinkle and her body is amazing. You suck, I thought as I looked at her turquoise earrings and necklace, her pretty face and colourful floral dress.

‘I hope I’m as fit as you when I’m your age,’ I told her.

‘That’s so sweet. If you keep eating organically you’ll be even fitter than me. And you know I’d love to show you some yoga too,’ she said.