by C. Fonseca
Ana looked at her inquiringly. “Andi tells me you’ve been in Australia only five months?”
“Six months,” Caitlin answered.
“And you’re working in Melbourne for your family? Helping set up an art gallery?”
“Yes, that is correct. It’s my grandaunt’s home and art collection, and I’m here to help her as much as I can.”
Ana nodded. “I understand. So is that the kind of work you do in Ireland?”
“No, I’m a lecturer at the University of Cork. I teach art history to postgraduate students and write academic field studies for graduate students visiting Ireland.”
“Oh, so you and Andi have art in common.” Ana stared at the sky thoughtfully before adding, “I’ve noticed the way Andi looks at you. She’s quite taken with you.”
Embarrassed by Ana’s observation, Caitlin said, “Andi is unique. She is an extraordinarily gifted artist.”
“Yes, she is. And she needs to concentrate on her exhibition.” She turned and looked at Caitlin. “Don’t you agree?”
Caitlin was taken aback by her direct manner, and she decided to adopt the same approach. “She does. Do you believe I’d be getting in the way? I would never do anything to jeopardise her hard work or her dreams.”
“No, I’m sorry, Caitlin. I don’t think you would intentionally hinder her creativity. If anything, you must be a wonderful influence, with your knowledge and experience.”
“What are you worried about?” Caitlin asked the obvious question.
“If you return to Ireland in six months, where does that leave Andi? I’m wondering why you two got involved in the first place? Does Andi know how soon you need to go home?”
“Yes, of course. Andi has always known. Look, Ana, we connect on so many different levels. It was like that right from the start. The truth is that we could never have stayed away from each other. Sometimes, even though logic tells you no, you can’t help yourself.”
“Don’t misunderstand me, Caitlin, I’m worried about my sister. But if that’s the case, then you both could be heading for hurt.”
Caitlin took a deep breath. “You don’t need to apologise. As Andi’s sister, I know you are trying to protect her.”
* * *
When Andi arrived back at the farm, her six-year-old niece was beside herself with excitement; the minute she climbed out of the farm utility, Mia launched herself into Andi’s arms. Andi steadied herself and lifted the little redhead up off the ground.
“Well, I’m really glad to see you too, poppet. Goodness, you’ve grown since I saw you last.”
She pulled Andi’s nose and rubbed her face on her cheek. “My name is Mia Thompson, and I am six. I’m not poppet.”
Andi pretended to struggle under the slight weight of her niece. “But you’re my poppet, Mia Thompson, and you’re getting too big for me to carry around.”
“Oh Andi, I’m not too heavy.” Her hazel eyes lit up with excitement. “Your girlfriend, Caitlin, is making pavlova with Vovó,” she said, using her word for her grandfather. “But I know a secret. I know a secret,” Mia said in a high-pitched voice.
“And what would that be?” Andi asked, tousling her fiery red curls. “Tell me.”
“Caitlin dropped an egg on the floor. Splat! But it didn’t matter, really.” Mia spoke even faster. “No one was mad at her. Mum said there were plenty of fresh eggs, but Caitlin looked sad.” She grabbed Andi’s hand, pulling her into the house. “Hey, Andi…”
“Yes, Mia?”
“Caitlin is very beautiful. But I heard Luc say to Papa that he thought she was hot. Is it because it’s hot in the kitchen with all the cooking? I tried to help and opened the back door,” she said innocently.
Andi laughed. They’ve got that right. “You’re very helpful. Let’s go inside and check if she’s still hot, shall we?” Andi grinned as they walked, swinging their joined hands.
Caitlin looked up, her face beaming, as Andi and Mia entered the kitchen. She washed her hands and grabbed a tea towel.
“Are you still hot?” Mia asked Caitlin, who looked at Andi questioningly.
“Mia was worried that all the hard work in the kitchen has made you overheat?”
“Oh? Actually, we’ve just finished, and your father’s put the last of the hazelnut meringues into the oven.” Caitlin’s cheeks were pink, flushed from the heat in the kitchen, no doubt. She was even more beautiful.
Emmanuel placed his arm around Caitlin’s shoulder. “Caitlin is a natural, Andréa. She has been a big help to me. Twenty-four meringue layers is a lot of eggs and a lot of whisking.”
“Thanks for letting me help,” Caitlin said. “I’ve enjoyed learning your secrets. You don’t mind making the desserts for your own birthday party?”
“Dad is one of the best pavlova makers in the whole Western District. He is often called on to make them for weddings and birthdays, aren’t you Dad?”
“Once, not so much now. I don’t always have the time.” He smiled. “Thank you again, Caitlin, for all your help.”
“My pleasure, really. It has been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned a great deal today.”
“Mia,” Ana called her daughter. “Tell your Papa we’re ready to go home.”
Mia reluctantly let go of Andi’s hand. Reaching for Caitlin’s, she placed it into Andi’s, smiling impishly. Her green-and-white checked school uniform and flash of red hair quickly disappeared out the back door.
“She’s a whirlwind,” said Andi affectionately.
Ana kissed her mother and gathered her belongings, sending a goodbye nod towards her father, Caitlin, and Andi. “Well, have a good rest tonight, everyone. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. We got a lot done today with the extra pair of hands. Thank you.” She smiled at Caitlin, who waved goodbye, before Ana’s attention was taken by her shrieking daughter, who was being chased indoors by her brother, Manny.
As Manny entered the kitchen, his gangly frame came to a screeching halt. Seeing Caitlin for the first time, he ran his hands through his curly dark hair and gaped.
“Manny, where are your manners? Say hello to Caitlin, Andi’s friend.”
Caitlin stepped towards him, holding out her hand. “Hi Manny, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
He blushed and wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans before accepting Caitlin’s handshake. “Nice to meet you, Caitlin.”
Ana stifled a yawn. “Come on, children, we need to have dinner and get to bed. Tomorrow, is going to be a big day.”
That evening, Emmanuel fired up the outdoor wood oven, and they shared homemade pizza and a glass of red wine. Caitlin excused herself to attend to emails and phone calls in their room, while Andi sat with her parents on the enclosed patio overlooking the rectangular swimming pool.
Emmanuel stretched out his long frame on a wicker chaise lounge, glass of port in one hand, while Andi sat beside her mother on the matching outdoor sofa. Lina took her hand, stroking it gently. “You look very well, darling, fit and healthy, and happy, too.”
“I feel pretty good. The work for the exhibition is going well, and I’ve had enough graphic design commissions to keep me going.”
Emmanuel raised a thick dark eyebrow. “Caitlin certainly seems very impressed with your paintings, Andréa. I would love to see them before the exhibition.”
“I’d like that too, Dad. Maybe you and Mum can come and visit me soon?”
Lina nodded in agreement, but Andi sensed there was something else on her mind.
“Are you okay, Mum?”
“Andréa, how are things going with Caitlin? I can see that you both get on very well together. She’s a lovely girl.”
“We do and she is. But you do know, don’t you, that Caitlin’s home is in Ireland? She is only here for another six months,” Andi said, trying to keep her despair hidden. “We enjoy each other’s company… I don’t know what more I can say,” she added despondently. Her mood had darkened.
“Have you told her how
you feel?” Lina asked quietly.
“What do you mean?” She looked everywhere except at her mother.
“That you’re in love with her, querida.”
Andi shook her head, denying her mother’s insight and her words. “No Mama, I don’t want to go there.”
What her mouth spoke and her mind thought were two separate things. The way she responded to Caitlin, and the way Caitlin responded to her, was intense and so confusing. “No, I’m not going there,” she repeated. Lowering her voice, she added, “We both have so many things going on, and she’s leaving. I just can’t.” Andi stood up and walked over to her father to wish him goodnight. “Not long now, Papa, and you’ll be a year older.”
“Goodnight, my darling. Sleep well.”
She bent down to kiss her mother and murmured, “Don’t worry, Mama. I’ll be okay.” At the door, she stopped to look back at her parents who were now together on the sofa, holding hands. “See you both in the morning. I love you.”
“We love you too, Andréa.” Lina sighed, as Emmanuel blew Andi a kiss goodnight.
In the kitchen, Andi rinsed out her empty teacup and walked towards their room. Hoping to shake the negative thoughts and sadness from her body, she stood in the glazed breezeway between the central living space and the guest wing and stared up into the night, where millions of stars illuminated the country sky. Her eyes caught a streak of light that flashed across the heavens. Could a shooting star really fulfil someone’s wish? If so, she knew what her wish would be.
CHAPTER 27
Caitlin woke to the loud, rippling crackle of a kookaburra’s call. She glanced at her phone; it was five in the morning. Groggy from sleep, she lay there for a few minutes. She really didn’t want to get up, but she knew that the longer she stayed, the stronger her urge would be to use the bathroom.
She edged quietly out of bed and tiptoed across the tiled floor. Her MacBook was on the dresser. How did it get there?
The last thing Caitlin remembered was reading the Cork University email notifying her about the date of her interview. Andi must have removed the laptop from the bed when she’d found her asleep. Caitlin rubbed at her forehead. Had she closed the email? Maybe not. Would Andi have seen it? Hopefully not.
Two hours later, having barely exchanged a good morning between them, Caitlin and Andi were hurried out of bed. It was going to be another hectic day, but Caitlin enjoyed the busy, frenzied activity of the Rey family.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, Ana announced that most of the work was done and they were free to take a rest so they’d be refreshed to entertain their guests that evening.
Caitlin would have liked to spend some quiet time alone with Andi. She’d hoped to tell her about the upcoming interview back home and was disappointed when Andi declared she had unfinished business in town. Not given the choice to accompany her, Caitlin chose to spend the time reading by the swimming pool.
It was now just after six in the evening, and a group of the Reys’ close friends had arrived with platters and coolers of food to help feed the eighty-or-so invited guests.
Ana conducted the early arrivers with precision. Tonight, her long dark hair sat loose around her shoulders. She was elegant and chic in an off-the-shoulder, black jumpsuit made from a fluid fabric that subtly showed off her striking figure.
Luc set up the bar in the open-sided marquee near the swimming pool. With his cheeky grin and easy banter, he charmed the early imbibers.
Eclectic, dinner party music streamed through the outdoor speakers. The melodies blended with the sounds of guests greeting each other, laughter, and children squealing. It was a balmy night; the fragrance of flowers, the smoky-spicy aroma of roasting barbecue, and the sweet smell of saffron-infused paella cooking on the charcoal burner filled the air.
Caitlin savoured her glass of petit verdot, with its luscious mix of mouth-filling fruit flavours, as she scanned the crowd in search of Andi. She’d seemed quieter than usual, even a little preoccupied, all day. It was a big family weekend, and as the youngest sibling, perhaps she felt there was a lot to live up to.
Luc, who had abandoned his bar duties, had his arm around the shoulders of a tanned woman with tightly cropped blonde hair. She must be the new girlfriend Andi had mentioned.
Caitlin turned around at the sound of that unmistakably infectious, laughter. Andi stood with a glass of wine in one hand, her other hand resting on her hip as she conversed with an older man dressed in a black suit and clerical collar.
“She looks scrummy, doesn’t she?” a voice behind her said. “That flirty-fit flare dress is, well…flirty. I think she’s even managed to charm Father Bob, the cranky old bugger. It’s been ages since I’ve seen Andi wearing a dress.”
“Ellie. It’s the first time for me.” She had never seen Andi in a dress before, and she couldn’t stop looking at her. She was irresistible. The lime, cotton-silk, sleeveless dress with cutaway shoulders showed an alluring amount of golden, silky skin. Her black, chunky ankle boots accentuated her toned legs. The combination gave her a girly, yet gritty look. Caitlin felt the colour rise in her cheeks. Ellie had caught her looking. Am I drooling?
“I think you agree with her,” Ellie said. She looked Caitlin up and down. “And obviously, she agrees with you.”
“It is nice to see you again. Andi will be so glad you could get the time off work,” Caitlin said drily.
“It took some manoeuvring and schmoozing, but I would’ve hated to miss the party.” Ellie gasped as a small pair of arms circled her thigh. “Mia!”
“Ellie, Ellie did you meet Andi’s girlfriend?” Mia’s voice bubbled with excitement. “She has a really funny way of talking. Mummy said Caitlin is from I-land.”
Ellie crouched down so she was eye to eye with Mia. “I have met Caitlin. She has a lovely way of talking, don’t you think? Caitlin is from Ireland. How are you, munchkin?”
“Island,” she shouted and ran away. “I’ll find Andi and tell her you’re here.”
“Well, that’s one excited little girl,” Ellie said and raised her bottle of ale to Caitlin. “So, out of the mouths of babes, as they say. Andi’s girlfriend?”
She cleared her throat. “Hmm. Mia is a darling girl.” Caitlin watched as the whirling dervish, dressed in a moss-green dress—her red curls springing as she ran—was lost in the crowd.
Ellie looked around her and waved to a couple across the lawn. “Looks like the regulars are here. Have you met many people yet?”
Caitlin nodded. “I haven’t done too badly, but please don’t ask me to recall every name. Lina introduced me to some friends from the Country Women’s Association. I won’t forget Doris and Estelle.”
“The expert scone makers?” Ellie laughed, and her eyebrows furrowed. “They are, you know. They’re first and second medal winners in the Country Show every year.”
“I now have Estelle’s recipe.” Caitlin patted her forehead with her finger. “I’ve also met Michael, the winemaker responsible for this yummy wine.” She raised her glass. “The mayor, the librarian, the owners of Organic Wholefoods, and two staff from the Ballarat art gallery.”
Caitlin couldn’t believe the diversity of guests. This group of friends and neighbours were, undoubtedly, the Reys’ extended family, and the party hummed with comradeship and celebration. The guests were plied with delicacies of Portugal—Emmanuel and Lina’s homeland—and of the country they now called home.
Andi approached, appearing at ease with a toddler on her hip and Mia by her side.
“Caitlin, this is Bruce,” Mia said. She slipped her hand into Caitlin’s. “Andi said we have exhausted her out, and it’s nearly time to eat, so the children can be put to bed.”
Caitlin winked at Andi. “Well, that’s an idea. Hello, Bruce. And who do you belong to?” The beautiful, rosy-skinned child looked more like a cherub than a Bruce. He giggled and reached for Caitlin’s hair.
“Oh, no you don’t, Bruce.” Andi caught his hand and blew a raspberry on
his cheek, making him squeal. “I think it’s time I returned you to your mother. Come on, Mia. Help me find Rosie. I’d rather Bruce was with her before he needs a nappy change.”
As Andi and the children moved away, Ellie called out, “You’re a natural. I can see you with a couple of your own one day.” She nudged Caitlin with her elbow. “Sorry, I’m just teasing. Really. Would you like another drink?”
“Why not?” Caitlin smiled and drained her glass. “Andi seems at ease around children. They obviously love her.” The family-oriented, nurturing side of Andi appealed to Caitlin just as much as her strongly independent self.
* * *
“I need to dance off that dessert. That is the best meringue I’ve ever tasted. Come on.” Caitlin grabbed Andi’s hand and led her towards the paved courtyard, where people were dancing under the strings of coloured lights.
Andi rested her hands lightly on Caitlin’s hips. “I don’t think you have to worry about a bit of meringue.” She glanced downwards at Caitlin’s statuesque form in her wide-leg chocolate-coloured trousers. “You look amazing and, by far, the sexiest woman at the party.” Andi sighed and moved her hand to the split back of Caitlin’s lace-up, plum-hued vest.
“Need a room, girls?” Luc gave his younger sister a friendly jab as he and his girlfriend, Penn, danced alongside them. “Ellie may need to resuscitate Estelle and Doris if you keep dancing like that.” He grinned wickedly and swirled his partner away.
“I could say the same about you, Luc,” called Andi. “I’m so glad he’s happy,” she said to Caitlin.
As the music changed to a Cesaria Evora song, Caitlin took Andi’s hand and turned her around in a loop to the quick, quick, slow rhythm of the salsa beat. She draped an arm across Andi’s shoulder to draw her closer.
“They look good together. I talked to Penn earlier about her job as editor of Living Sustainably,” said Caitlin. “She’s very focused and passionate about her work.”
“They do seem a good fit. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him show so much interest in someone.”
“Looks like Ellie’s found a dance partner too. Isn’t that Laura, the curator at the Ballarat art gallery?”
