Kate huddled over her first cup of tea for the morning, her hands circling the mug for warmth. Around her the kitchen was silent except for the occasional tick of the fridge and beyond that, outside, the distant sound of a tractor moving back forth.

At the moment her stomach was settled. It was her nerves that were on edge. Before he’d gone outside her dad had convinced her she needed to tell her sisters she was pregnant. They’d all been worried about her and keeping it a secret wasn’t helping. He’d wanted to ring her mum too but she’d said no, she preferred to tell people face to face. He’d agreed to let her do things her way before he’d gone outside to do whatever he was doing on the tractor.

Kate gripped her mug tighter. At least she had a week up her sleeve before she had to tell Sean. It wasn’t the kind of conversation she wanted to have over the phone. His interstate job had bought her time.

“Good morning.” Laura breezed into the kitchen then shut the door, twice, the second time with a thump to make sure it stayed shut. “It’s freezing in here. Have you let the fire go out?”

Kate glanced towards the slow-combustion fire in the corner of the kitchen. The room had been warm when she’d come in to find her dad eating his breakfast.

Laura poked at it, then put some more wood on and strode across to the kettle. Her outfit brought a temporary smile to Kate’s face. She’d obviously been going through drawers of old clothes. She sported worn ugg boots with a hole in one toe revealing a stripy pink sock, a pair of purple trackpants and her old school jumper, topped off by her hair, which, although beginning to fade, was a crown of colour around her face.

“Hell, look what the cat’s dragged in.”

Kate’s smile faded. Bree had let herself in. Of course she was dressed in her standard denim and thick blue jumper; her hair shone and was pulled back in a neat ponytail. She stopped to look from Kate to Laura. “Should have worn my sunglasses.”

Kate sighed, put her head in her hands. She’d peered in the bedroom mirror when she’d slipped on her dressing-gown. She knew how terrible she looked.

“It’s bloody freezing in here.” Bree strode to the fire. “Have you let the fire go out?”

“I’ve just added wood,” Laura said.

“Where’s Dad?” Bree asked.

“Haven’t seen him,” Laura said.

“He’s doing something on the tractor.” Kate lifted her head.

“What?” Bree went to the window.

“I don’t know.” Kate looked at her sisters who both had their backs to her. “I need to tell you something.”

They turned. Bree’s look was expectant, Laura’s full of concern.