‘I don’t know what I have to eat,’ Zara said, standing in front of the open fridge as if something was going to jump out at her.

‘We can order takeaway, can’t we? That’s what you do in the city, isn’t it?’

‘I guess we can!’

‘Close the fridge door, Zara. You’re wasting electricity holding it open like that. Will used to do exactly the same thing. Stand there and gaze in as if something was miraculously going to make itself and he’d be able to eat it.’

Zara giggled and closed the door. ‘Sorry. What did you do with James for the night?’

‘He’s on call.’

‘What’s the goss on him, Mum?’ Zara asked, flopping down next to Lynda on the couch.

‘There’s no “goss”, as you call it, at my age, Zara! Bloody hell, anyone would think I was a teenager. We met, started spending some time together and, I don’t know, we just fell into a comfortable friendship. And a friendship is a great start to a relationship.’

‘Is he going to move in with you?’

‘The tricky thing about him being a doctor is that he needs to be close to the hospital in case of emergencies and it’s a thirty-minute drive into town from our place. But the house is pretty lonely and quiet without Will.’ Lynda looked down at the glass of wine in her hand and swallowed hard. Then she said, ‘Zara, I know I’ve asked you before, but have you thought about coming home to work on the farm now that Will has gone?’

Zara had been expecting the question for a while now. ‘No, Mum,’ she said quietly. ‘Not to work on the farm. Can you see me running around in the sheep yards and driving the tractor to put the crop in?’

‘You used to.’

‘Yeah, when I was a kid! I’d end up putting the rams in with the ewe at the wrong time of year or something.’

Lynda leaned back and looked at her daughter. ‘You know, I always thought you’d come home at some stage.’

‘Why? I love journalism.’

‘I know you do, but the call of the country is usually pretty strong for a person who’s grown up there. I guess … well, maybe I just hoped.’

‘Don’t get me wrong, you know I love the farming life—but writing about it, not actually doing it. I really enjoy getting out and talking to the people who are on the ground, and reporting on all the innovations, but as for actually doing it,’ she shook her head. ‘I think …’ She paused, trying to find the right words. ‘I think I love the adrenalin of deadlines and the buzz of the office. It’s exciting trying to beat the clock, you know?’