Chapters (48)
- Cover
- Praise
- About the Author
- Also by Tricia Stringer
- Title Page
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- Excerpt
- One
How weird life was, Natalie thought. She’d been beside herself with worry and her lump had been benign and Veronica had obviously been relaxed enough about her recall to plan some free time in the city.
“Give me your keys.” Milt held out his hand to Veronica. “I’ll drive you and Nat can follow in our car.”
Natalie did as he’d asked. It was the last thing she wanted to do but how could she refuse? She wanted to be celebrating her good fortune with her husband but none of that would happen tonight even if they did have time to themselves. Veronica had stolen that moment just like she’d almost stolen Natalie’s husband all those years ago.
They left the building together. Outside the sky was grey, the temperature had dropped and a gust of wind stirred the leftover autumn leaves in the carpark. Veronica gave her the address and Natalie put the directions into Google maps in case she lost sight of the other car but the traffic was heavy and they remained locked in tandem. They arrived in a quiet leafy street and Natalie pulled her car in behind Veronica’s at the Halbots’ Toorak Gardens unit. They’d bought it when their children had been moving to Adelaide for university and now it was kept as a family overnighter when needed – a luxury Natalie had often wished her own family had but Milt had never thought necessary.
Natalie shivered as she followed Veronica inside. The warm day hadn’t penetrated the brick walls shaded by leafy trees and a breeze had sprung up that made her drag a cardigan over her long-sleeved shirt. Veronica went into another room. Milt took a step towards Natalie but they had no time to talk before Veronica was back. She’d thrown a camel-coloured jacket over her navy-and-white-spotted shirt and navy pants, and swapped her heels for flats. Her face and hair might be dishevelled but her clothes were stylish.
She looked around as if not sure what to do. “There’re a few things in the fridge but I’d planned to eat out. I could make us a cup of tea.”
Milt strode forward and gently guided her to a chair. “Sit down.”
Veronica did. Milt waved Natalie to another chair. Once again she wondered what she would have done if she’d been on her own and met Veronica. Offered sympathy and left the other woman to her despair or stepped in and taken over like Milt?