‘Is this still about you being barren?’

‘I’m not barren.’

‘Oh, Nicky. Don’t go nitpicking over semantics. Barren, infertile, reproductively challenged. Whatever. I thought you’d moved past this.’

Silence filled the room. Nicky slowly rose and walked towards the front door.

‘Where are you going?’

Nowhere. There was nowhere for her to go. No friends to go to. No money to take her anywhere. No choice. But she couldn’t stay there.

She walked out into the night.

Wandering the streets of Surry Hills, surrounded by restaurants and bars throbbing with happy people, Nicky had never felt so alone. How had she ended up here, with this as her life? She was a strong, intelligent woman. Yet here she was. Not so strong and intelligent after all.

Two young men stumbled out of a small bar and nearly knocked her over.

‘Sorry, lady.’ They threw their arms around each other and continued on down the street.

Maybe this was just a rough patch. Lord knew Mark hadn’t dealt with his emotions after her emergency surgery. And despite his protestations that she was enough on her own, she suspected he was upset that they couldn’t have children. That she couldn’t. At least not naturally. Grief could do funny things. Maybe he was just trying to find his way round his.

Maybe.

She walked past a buzzing late-night café where a young woman sat perched on a stool outside playing a soft, lilting folk song, as the people listening to her drank their soy lattes. Nicky stopped for a moment. The girl had a beautiful voice.

Mark did love her. Of that she had no doubt. He just didn’t know how to deal with what had happened.

She didn’t, either.

She wound her way back to her apartment. Maybe he’d be asleep already and she could just sneak in and sleep on the couch – look at things with a clear head in the morning.

There were no lights on. A good sign.

But sitting in the dark on the sofa, Mark was waiting for her. He fell to his knees as she crossed the room, and buried his forehead into her waist.

‘Princess. I was out of line. I’ll never be such a jerk again. You can’t leave me. Not ever.’

Nicky stood still.

Mark lifted his head and looked at her with tear-soaked eyes. ‘I’m sorry.’

They were two words she’d never heard come out of his mouth before.

Nicky took Mark’s face in her hands. ‘Never again.’

‘I promise.’ He stood and kissed her softly on the forehead. Then he drew her in for a tight hug.

Sixteen

Nicole walked along the path to the boatshed. Morning rays of light bounced off the ocean and rosellas danced between the trees in flashes of bright colour.