His father said nothing for a moment. Sidney looked at all the silent men, unfolded his arms and said, ‘At least finish your tea.’

‘I think I’ll go.’

He stood. Sidney and Ernie both remained seated but, to Sidney’s surprise, Brendan stood. ‘I’ll see you out.’

The old man took a moment, surveying the room, then nodded.

‘I don’t think I’m better than people.’

‘You act like it, but,’ Ernie said.

The old man paused, then nodded again and turned, hunched over, limping. Brendan even held the door open for him.

After they’d exited, his father turned to Sidney and said, ‘Some nerve, hey.’

‘He was just trying to apologise, Dad.’

Ernie shook his head, leaned back on his chair. ‘He was trying to manipulate us into getting his way.’

‘You just said the other night you’d do anything for us. He’s just doing that, isn’t he?’

Ernie nodded slowly, breathed out. ‘Yeah, I guess.’ His shoulders slumped a bit. He leaned forward, the chair resting, and took some tea. ‘How’s the rash on your little one?’

‘I think it’s clearing up.’

‘Good,’ his father said. ‘You moisturise her skin?’

‘You know about this?’

His father laughed a little. ‘I used to put you on my arm, like this,’ he said, and positioned his arm horizontal to the table, indicated the length of his forearm. ‘You used to fit right here.’

‘You say that a lot.’

‘Do I?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well. I used to put that moisturiser all up and down your back. You used to get a bad rash on your back when you slept at night. On your butt.’

Brendan re-entered the house. He walked to the table and slouched into a chair. Ernie’s arm lowered.

‘You didn’t kill him, did you?’ he asked.

‘No. He’s alright.’

‘You didn’t say anything else to him?’

Brendan shook his head.

‘I want this done with. It’s finished now. You understand me?’

Brendan nodded. ‘I get it.’

They sat around the table drinking their tea. Sidney watched his brother and his father and tried to see something of his daughter in them but couldn’t. She was wholly unique and a part of him. These men were not. The thought arrived with no sadness. Just a deep understanding of something he had known since Amy was born.

TWENTY

VERNON MOORE

It was hard to tell how his apology had been taken, with Ernie as gruff and unreadable as he had been the first time Vernon had been here. And he had some bite to him. Summed up Vernon pretty well. It was unnerving, really. In the end Vernon knew he’d done all he could to right the situation, and as he left their front verandah he hoped it was for the last time.

There was a magpie sitting atop a fence post near his car. Vernon walked, with Brendan keeping pace. He was not afraid of Brendan, strangely. The big lug was mostly talk and hot air. But the bird gave him pause. As he opened his car door he watched it gaze at him as though it knew him.