Natalie thought about spending another night in her parents’ compact, tidy unit: the stilted conversation, Dad with half an eye on the sports channel, Mum with her knitting. They had a routine and her extended presence upset that. “There’s not much for me to do. I think Mum and Dad would be happier if I went home.” She’d asked her mum about the invitation to Tony’s birthday and that had caused a stir. Her mother had become defensive, saying they could be friends with anyone they liked and they liked Tony. When Natalie had next gone to the fridge she noticed the invitation had disappeared. There was so much about her parents she didn’t know, so much about her life they would never be privy to. They were acquaintances rather than parents and daughter.

Bronwyn stood up, came around the table and hugged her tight. “I’ve enjoyed seeing you and, in their own way, they have too.”

Natalie smiled and nodded, thankful for the sentiment but not sure of its validity.

“Do you want a ride back to the unit?”

“No, thanks. It’s only a few blocks and I need the walk if I’m going to be in the car half the day.”

“You’re definitely going then?”

“Unless the wheels have fallen off big-time when I get back to the unit, yes.” Now that she’d made the decision to go home the uncertainties crowded in on her again. She squeezed Bronwyn’s hand and stepped back, forcing a smile to her face. “I’ll call in and say goodbye to you and Karl at the shop on my way out of town.”

Fourteen

Fourteen

Easy conversation drifted around the table and for a change male voices outnumbered those of female in the Kings’ kitchen. Bree slid into the vacant chair between her dad at the head of the table and Owen, who was in conversation with Jack seated on his other side. Kate sat opposite her and beside her was Sean. That had been a surprise. Not so much his arrival, Kate had said he was coming, but it was the way she had thrown herself at him and clung to him that was weird. Kate wasn’t usually the outwardly fussy type.

“Anyone for a red with dinner?” Milt raised the wine bottle he’d just opened. Only Owen accepted the offer. The others were sticking to beer or, in Laura and Jack’s case, the Floradora cocktail she was keen on and had talked him into trying.

“What happened about Granny’s picnic?” Bree asked. “Wasn’t that meant to be tomorrow?”

“Yes, damn, I forgot all about it,” Laura said.

“She knows we’re busy,” Milt said. “And with Nat away she found someone else to host it.”

“We should have invited her out tonight,” Kate said. “She must find it lonely on her own after all the years of being in this house.”