It was dark before Natalie and Milt arrived home. Laura and Olive had both stayed in town so it was just the two of them. Milt stirred the fire in the kitchen back to life but they’d been gone all day and it would take a while to put some heat back into the room. Natalie kept her coat on while she heated some soup.

“I’m not very hungry after all the food I ate today but I could make you something else,” she said.

Milt closed the door of the pot belly and stood up. “Soup will be fine, thanks, Nat. We’re both too tired to do anything more.”

“There’s some fresh sourdough to go with it.” Once upon a time he would have insisted on more than soup and bread for an evening meal. “You and Trevor did a fantastic job of the auction.”

Milt set the table then sat. “Trevor’s a competent auctioneer. I was only his runner and don’t I know it.” He gave a groan and arched his back.

“You donated several items and got others on board and it was a perfect end to the day. The bean counters were still tallying when I took our stall takings over but it looks like the final total will be well over ten thousand dollars raised.”

“A great effort.” He buttered a slice of bread and took a bite. “This is good. Where did it come from?”

“Mel who married the youngest Rolland son had a stall today. She’s making other breads and rolls as well, all from home and running an impressive little business, from what I hear.”

“It was encouraging to see so many young ones from around the district involved today. Makes you feel positive about the future when you see their collective brains trust.”

“And their fresh ideas. Laura had a chat with Mel about running her business.”

“I’m glad Laura’s thinking seriously about running her own mobile salon. There’d be a lot of people who’d book her up.”

Natalie recalled the first visit she’d made to Veronica’s and the professional way Laura had conducted herself. Veronica’s smile when she’d looked in the mirror had been heart-warming. “A shorter style makes the hair you have look fuller,” Laura had said. “And other ladies who’ve had much longer hair have told me it prepares them better for going bald.” Laura had also suggested she go with Veronica to the wig library so she could start looking at what might suit her.

Natalie poured the soup into bowls and took them to the table. “Laura’s got a lot of talent.”

“I know. She was lacking in some self-belief. I had a few chats with her while you were away.”

Milt had supported all three girls in her absence. Natalie hoped he’d continue to be more open with them.