Her heart starts racing a little faster, nervous about where this conversation is going. ‘But Drew, you have a job.’

He spits out a mouthful of foam, burying his head in the sink rather than looking at her. ‘You know how much I hate that school.’ The all-girls school has proved to be nothing but a challenge for Drew who resents the teenage girls who let him know they have the world at their fingertips because of their parents’ bank accounts. ‘I need a change.’

‘Okay,’ she says slowly, wanting to be more supportive than she’s feeling. ‘So, I’d just stay in Sydney and you’d be here?’

‘Yeah, I mean I’d come down some weekends and you could come up here.’

He’s suggesting long distance?! ‘If you’re really keen to give up your job, why don’t you look for something else in Sydney? Even if you can’t find something permanent, you could teach casually for a while?’

‘Because teaching back here would be awesome.’ His eyes are bright as though he’s a kid talking about Santa Claus. ‘I already know heaps of the families, Parko said he’d be happy for me to help out with the footy coaching and, who knows, it could lead to a full-time position.’

A full-time position? Here? He’s got to be joking. But at the look on his face she knows he’s nothing but serious.

‘Don’t you miss it?’

Frankly, no. She loves her family but not one part of her wants to be back in Gloucester for more than a long weekend. ‘Not really.’ She’d spent the afternoon at Lauren’s place. They’ve been friends since preschool. Lauren is now married with kids and a mortgage, and Darcy had watched her friend with amused admiration. The mess, the noise, the chaos. Lauren was certainly dishevelled but appeared as though she actually enjoyed it. Darcy had left wondering if she’d be able to spend her days like that, and she’s still plagued with doubt. She knows Lauren’s happy with the life she has, but in all honesty, Darcy felt suffocated just being at her place. Knowing she gets to drive back to her life in Sydney tomorrow is liberating.

Drew’s jaw tightens, and she sees a flicker of disappointment cross his eyes. She knows he wishes she could feel as fondly towards their hometown as he does.

‘I think I’m going to take it.’

‘What?’ Darcy’s indignant. ‘So I don’t even get a say?’

‘Don’t be like that.’ He’s annoyed. ‘It’s ten weeks. You won’t even notice I’m not around. You’ve barely been at home all week and it’s only going to get worse as the job goes on.’