Natalie nodded. “I envy you windows that close snugly. I live in an old farmhouse and nothing fits properly any more. It’s impossible to keep the dust out.”

Rosie brought mugs of tea to the table with milk and sugar. Natalie sat, then noticed the dresser at the end of the table was crowded with photos, mostly of men and boys. Among them she recognised Gabe. He was quite a lot younger but the camera had caught that bright smile of his and a glint of mischief in his eyes. She turned away, surprised by how much she missed him.

“They’re all my family.” Rosie placed a plate of biscuits on the table and came to sit beside her.

“All of them?” Natalie glanced back. There had to be about thirty different photos, if you included those scattered over other surfaces in the room.

Rosie laughed. “I call them my family. I’ve got four kids of my own. Three boys and…” She looked to the photos. “A daughter.”

Natalie followed her gaze and saw an old photo of a much younger Rosie beside a man and four young children, one a baby in her arms.

“The others are my lost boys.” There was pride in Rosie’s voice.

“Lost boys?”

“Gabe was one of them.” Rosie pointed a finger towards his photo, in prime place, middle front of the dresser. “He’s my brother’s boy. He went haywire in his young days. My brother and his wife couldn’t cope. They were living in Broome then but my brother was working away a lot. Gabe got in with a bad crowd. Did some stupid stuff. Drank too much. You know. Could have gone to jail.”

Natalie tried to imagine the Gabe she’d met doing stupid stuff, as Rosie put it.

“I went and got him. Brought him back here. Found him some work.” Rosie’s eyes sparkled. “There’s always something needs painting here. He did all those cabins.” She blew on her tea, took a sip. Looked back at the photos. “I got one of my cousins to take him bush, remind him who he was and where he comes from. He’s doing well for himself these days but he likes to come back and visit. Touch base with home. He was my first success.” She looked lovingly at the photos then a sadness settled on her face. “Some of them couldn’t adjust, didn’t stay, went back to their bad ways. I thought maybe…well. Charlie’s another lost boy. He wasn’t doing so well, wanted to go back, but that kayaking trip we took together was a turning point for him.”