But before I can join Sal at the table, she walks away from it, squealing. ‘Oh my God!’ And then she is throwing her arms around Finn.

I stand back from them, as though I’m watching a scene in a film. The sleeves of Sal’s blouse slide back to her shoulders, exposing her tanned arms and jangle of silver bracelets. She lifts her head to Finn and he kisses her full on the lips, pulls her close and puts his hand on her ass. Her headscarf drops to the ground. Sal puts her arm around Finn’s waist.

‘Ryan, look who’s here!’ She’s flushed with joy, her voice high.

Finn makes a mock salute at Ryan.

‘Finn, my man!’

It’s when Ryan deposits the glasses and jug on our table that Finn notices me, standing behind a chair.

‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ he says.

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Thought I wouldn’t notice you?’

He seems even more of a mountain man here in a city beer garden, his beard wild, skin brown, short-sleeved shirt open. He locks eyes with me. ‘Are you following me, Water Rat?’

‘You know each other?’ Ryan asks as Finn lets go of Sal to greet him, grabbing his arm and thumping him on the back.

‘Could say that. I think your man here is stalking me.’

‘Believe me, the last thing I want to do is follow you around. I came here for a drink with my friends. It’s you who –’ But I’m not sure what’s going on.

Sal and Ryan seem confused. Neither Finn nor I makes a move to explain our animosity. I’m worried he’ll tell them Dad and I came to the commune to take his son. And maybe Finn’s reluctant to explain why the mother of his child ran off and hooked up with my dad. We stand in uncomfortable silence until Ryan speaks. ‘So, you’re in Brisbane? Thought you’d moved to the coast.’ He pours beers for us three, tops up Finn’s.

‘I’m down here for the day. What about you two? Where’re you living?’ He’s speaking to Ryan, but still glaring at me. I want to ask how he knows Ryan and Sal. He wasn’t at uni with us; I never saw him at any parties or marches.

‘We moved to Bali,’ Sal says.

‘Oh yeah? I hear it’s incredible there,’ he says. ‘You always did like sunset on the beach, huh?’ How is Ryan putting up with these two flirting so hard right in front of him?

‘Sunsets there are amazing,’ she smiles. ‘Everything they say about Bali is true.’

‘Great surf and even better weed?’

‘And the people, my god.’ She puts one hand to her chest. ‘They’re beautiful.’

‘Paradise lost, that’s what it is,’ Ryan says. ‘It was perfect until we showed up. Place is infested with tourists now.’

‘Don’t start,’ I say.

‘Which is why we’re back,’ Sal says. ‘We’ve been looking around Brisbane for a house, somewhere near the river.’

I frown at her. This is news to me, big news. And she’s said it in such a cavalier way. But Sal’s attention is entirely on Finn, as though she’s in the presence of a rock star.