by Lois Kay
Joan sipped her coffee and shook her head. “Not really,” she said, missing the surprised look between Sam and Jody. “I’ve read an article about multiple gay children within one family. Some families have five or six children, with two or three of them being gay. So, if all my daughters turn out to be lesbians, we’re not even off the charts,” she added with a chuckle.
“You’ve researched this?” Sam couldn’t hide her surprise and admiration. “You are the coolest mother-in-law,” she added with a laugh.
“I’ve done a lot of research,” Joan admitted. She looked at Jody and smiled warmly. “I wanted to know more. I wanted to know how to best support you. When Lucy started dating Trishia, I was glad I did, because I never wanted any of my children to feel rejected, ever again.” Joan paused and cleared her throat. “I know I can’t change my lack of support for you, but—.”
“Mom, no.” Jody reached across the table and covered Joan’s hand with one of her own. “We’ve talked about that. Please, you’re here. After I had left home, you tracked me down, and you’ve supported me even before Sam came back into my life, knowing Dad would be fuming if he’d find out you’d seen me. Don’t beat yourself up over something that has no bearing on today. Please?”
Joan breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled. “I know, and I’m incredibly grateful for your forgiveness, but as a mother, I should have stood by your side the day your father found out you were in love with Sam. I didn’t. You make it easier for me to live with it, but I will always regret my lack of support that day.”
“I can’t say it didn’t hurt, but what do you think would have happened if you’d confronted him that day?” There was a hint of sadness in Jody’s voice. “Mom?”
“He would have made me pay for it, one way or another.”
“Exactly. And you had five more children to look after. Fiona was only six, or seven. Michael was nine. They needed you,” Jody said. “Can you imagine what would have happened if Dad would have gone nuts? Your lack of support that night did hurt me, but that pain quickly disappeared when I found out you were looking for me a few months later. And knowing that my brothers and sisters were spared the fallout of Dad going berserk is worth a lot to me.”
Joan blinked away tears and sent Jody a watery smile. “Do you have any idea what a special human being you are?” she asked.
“I do,” Sam immediately responded, wrapping her arm around Jody’s shoulders and pulling her close.
Jody let out a soft laugh. “You’re biased.”
“Maybe.” Sam dropped a kiss below Jody’s ear. “But not in this case. You are an amazing person. Why do you think Alice took to you from the first moment she met you?”
“I’m a blonde magnet?”
Sam laughed and pulled Jody closer. “Stop downplaying your great qualities. Have I ever told you what one of the first things was that attracted me to you?” When Jody shook her head, Sam continued. “Your ability to see people, really see people. And you’re not only looking with your eyes.” She gently pressed a hand against Jody’s chest. “You look with your heart.” When Jody opened her mouth to respond, Sam shook her head and silenced her with a kiss. “Nope, you don’t get to object,” she said a moment later. “You’ll have to accept your awesomeness. Just say ‘thank you.’”
Jody glanced at her mother who was looking at them with a smile. “Alright, thank you,” she finally said.
There was a knock on the door, and a widely smiling Yarra stepped inside the kitchen. “Good morning, Jody, Sam,” she turned to Joan. “Mrs. McDonell.”
“Hello, Yarra,” Jody greeted.
“Fed any wallabies this morning?” Sam teased, making Yarra laugh.
“No, Sam, not this morning. And trust me, next time I’ll check in with you first.” Yarra took a seat across from Sam and Jody, and her dark-brown eyes were dancing when she looked at them. “You two look cozy.”
Sam grinned. “We should be since Jody is almost sitting in my lap.”
“I don’t hear any complaints,” Jody said, not making an effort to move.
“Because there are none,” Sam responded.
“Since our lovebirds have their hands full with each other, would you like something to drink, Yarra?” Joan asked.
“No, thank you. I just had breakfast.” Yarra looked around. “Are Fi and Alice still asleep?”
Jody shook her head. “They’re in the office. Fiona is showing Alice some of her math homework. They’re trying to find out which year of high school she’s in.”
“Did Fiona find anything on the internet?” Yarra’s eyes went wide when both Sam and Jody nodded.
“She found a picture, a girls’ soccer team from a school in Perth. The girl looks so much like Alice I’d be surprised if it’s not her,” Sam said.
“Soccer?” Yarra smiled widely. “Has she seen it yet?”
“Not yet,” Jody said. “Fiona has emailed the information to Trishia and Peter. I’m sure they’ll jump on it immediately. Maybe it’s best to make sure it is Alice, before showing it to her. We don’t want to get her hopes up, nor do we want to trigger anything with a picture that’s not her.”
Yarra nodded. “That makes sense. It’s a pity it’s Sunday, though. School’s closed.”
“I don’t think that will stop Trish and Peter,” Sam said. “I’m sure they’re already all over it.”
*
Chapter 12
“Do you remember anything from school?” Fiona asked. She had taken a seat in one of the two office chairs and pulled Sam’s laptop closer, gesturing for Alice to take the other chair.
“No, I’m trying to. It’s like the more I try to remember, the further out of reach it is.”
“That’s not abnormal. Sometimes, when I try to remember something it works better not to think about it and then before I know it, whatever it was, pops in my head.”
Alice nodded. “Lisa told me something similar.” Her gaze traveled to the photos on the wall. “Trishia told me you took that picture of Sam and Jody.”
Fiona twirled her chair around and looked at the wall. “Yup, that was me.”
“It’s beautiful. I don’t know them very well yet, but it seems like it really captures their personalities,” Alice said with a smile.
“Don’t tell them I said this, but they’re so easy to take a great picture of. Both are photogenic, and when you put them together the air almost crackles,” Fiona said with a laugh. “It’s hard to take a bad picture of Jody and Sam.”
“They do seem to love each other deeply.”
Fiona nodded. “They do. I know I tease them a lot, but I’m so happy they’re together. I do love Sam, no matter the insults I throw at her. And Jody, well, Jody is the best sister anyone could ask for.” She paused for a moment. “Lucy is awesome, too, but she and I are alike in so many things, and sometimes we end up arguing. I don’t think I’ve ever bickered with Jody.”
“What about Trishia?” Alice’s voice held a hint of uncertainty.
“Trish is great. She’s good for Lucy,” Fiona said. “At first, she can be a little standoffish, but once you get to know her, she’s kind, smart and funny. She’s great at what she does.” Fiona paused for a moment, wondering how much she should tell Alice. Maybe not too much. Not yet anyway. “Last year there was a situation, and Trish ended up saving Sam’s life, and that of Megan.” She cast a look at Alice who had gone a little pale. “Megan’s a friend of Jody. And Sam, too, of course. You’ll meet her at some point. Her partner is Sarah, and they’re great. You’d like them.”
Before Alice could ask any more questions, Fiona turned back to the desk and moved the mouse around, chuckling when the screen came to life. “Sam never turns this thing off properly,” she explained. “Look at all those windows she leaves open. I’d better clean up a bit before I open the school’s website. The last thing I’d want to do is blow up Sam’s beloved prehistoric laptop.”
Fiona clicked open a window but was not prepared for what happened next. A
s soon as the cursor hovered over an icon, a window popped up, and Alice gasped. She jumped up and flew out of her chair, already opening the door before Fiona could even respond.
“Alice,” Fiona managed to call out, but Alice had her hand on the doorknob and yanked the door open. Before Fiona was out of her chair, Alice had disappeared into the hallway.
*
“Alice!”
Yarra was just getting up to join Alice and Fiona in the office when Fiona’s voice sounded from the back of the house. As soon as she heard the mixture of concern and panic in her friend’s voice, Yarra’s heart started pounding. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jody had jumped to her feet, and Sam was in the process of getting up. Yarra was the first one to move toward the hallway, but before she could leave the kitchen she collided with a solid body, and if it hadn’t been for her excellent reflexes, she would have ended up on the floor. Instead, her arms grabbed Alice as she spun around, knowing that if she let go, Alice would make it to the door and possibly disappear into the bush that surrounded the house. Her back collided with the wall and for a moment she had the wind knocked out of her. As she gasped for breath, her hold on Alice tightened, even though the girl was fighting to get away.
“Jody, help,” Yarra breathed. She was aware of Fiona flying into the kitchen and coming to a full stop when she noticed Yarra was holding a struggling Alice.
Jody had approached Yarra and reached out a hand to grab Alice’s. “Alice, it’s okay, you’re safe,” she tried to soothe her. “You’re safe, honey. No matter what it is you see right now, you’re safe. You’re here with Yarra and me.”
The concern in Jody’s eyes was evident, and Yarra tried to relax her body as much as she could without releasing her hold of Alice. Maybe it would help Alice if she tried to relax. She followed Jody’s example and consciously kept her voice quiet and soothing when she started talking. “Alice, it’s alright, it’s me, Yarra. You’re fine. You’re safe.”
Jody was able to grab Alice’s other hand as well, and gradually Alice seemed to relax. Her breathing was still ragged, and Yarra wondered if she had another panic attack. Her gaze locked with Jody’s, who nodded in answer to her unspoken question.
Yarra’s shoulder was hurting from where it had collided with the wall, but she refused to let go of Alice until she was calm. Alice was facing Jody, who gently pushed Alice’s hair out of her eyes. “Alice, can you look at me? Please? If you look at me, you’ll see it’s me, Jody. You’re safe.”
“Breathe with me, Alice.” Yarra was surprised at the calmness of her voice. “I’m right here, behind you. It’s me holding you, Yarra. Just breathe.”
The struggle to get away eased, even though Alice’s body was so tense, Yarra wondered why it wasn’t vibrating. Gradually, Alice’s breathing slowed down, and she started to relax. Yarra was just about to release her hold, when Alice’s body slid to the floor, taking Yarra with her. For a second time, Yarra’s back collided with the wall, and she winced at the pain in her shoulder. That would leave a nasty bruise. She was sitting on the floor, Alice between her outstretched legs, with her back pressed against Yarra’s front and Yarra’s arms still wrapped around her. Jody was kneeling in front of them and still talking to Alice in a low, soothing voice.
Yarra’s gaze locked with Fiona’s who mouthed: “Are you okay?” Yarra nodded, more concerned with Alice than her throbbing shoulder.
“Jody?” Alice’s voice was trembling and raspy.
“Yes, it’s me. You’re safe, Alice,” Jody repeated. She was now sitting on the floor, holding one of Alice’s hands and gently rubbing her arm. “You’re safe.”
Yarra finally dared to release her hold on Alice. She rested her hands on her thighs, ready to grab Alice again if necessary.
“Would you like something to drink?” Jody asked Alice. Before she could answer, Sam already handed Jody a glass of lemonade. “Here, take a few sips,” Jody encouraged, handing Alice the glass. She had to support Alice’s hands because she was shaking so much, she would have dropped the glass. Still, Alice managed to take a few sips and Yarra noticed her breathing had returned to normal.
Jody set the glass on the floor, not aware Sam quickly picked it up and put it on the table. Her entire focus was on Alice. “How are you doing?” she asked gently. “Do you know where you are?”
Alice nodded. She let out a shuddering breath and Yarra could feel her relax against her. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she would stay like that the rest of the day if it would be helpful to Alice.
“I’m at your place, Murrook Farm,” Alice said. Her voice was still hoarse.
Jody smiled warmly. “That’s right.” She cupped Alice’s cheek. “Welcome back.”
Alice let out a sound that was a mixture of a chuckle and a sob, before breathing in deeply. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Jody immediately responded. “We know this can happen and we don’t mind when it does. It’s all part of the process, Alice. We are sorry you’re going through this.”
Yarra looked up, and when she saw the look on Sam’s face, she smiled. Sam was looking at Jody with a mixture of love and admiration and Yarra wished she would, one day, find somebody who would look at her the way Sam looked at Jody.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Jody’s voice was still quiet and comforting as if Alice’s panic attack had not affected her at all. Yarra felt that was exactly what Alice needed and when Jody looked up, she sent her a grateful smile.
Yarra felt Alice’s body shiver, and she gently rubbed her shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said. “Just take a deep breath.”
Alice breathed in deeply and briefly rested her head against Yarra’s shoulder. “He was right there,” Alice said. She sounded like she was out of breath and again, a shiver ran through her body. “The eyes from my nightmare,” she swallowed hard. “It’s…I saw the man with the cold eyes. The one who…who tried to choke me.”
Yarra noticed Sam was holding her phone and was typing a message. No doubt she was letting Trishia know what had happened.
“Can you tell me what happened for you to see him?” Jody asked.
Alice nodded. “He was right there. On the computer.”
Yarra saw a look of horror cross Fiona’s face. “Alice, I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” she sounded mortified.
“It’s okay, Fiona,” Alice responded. Yarra was pleased to hear her voice sounded stronger. “You didn’t know.” She rested her head against Yarra’s shoulder again, but this time she left it there. “Heck, I didn’t know until that window popped up.” She sighed. “I’ll need to talk to Trishia again.”
“I just texted her,” Sam said. “I’m sure she’ll be here within the next five or ten minutes.”
Alice nodded. “Thank you.”
“Do you think you can get up?” Jody asked. Her eyes were still filled with concern.
“I think so,” Alice said. She turned her head so she could look at Yarra and sent her a shy smile. “I’m sorry, Yarra. Did I hurt you?”
“I can take it,” Yarra answered.
Alice frowned. “So, I did hurt you,” she said, and Yarra saw her eyes cloud over.
“Just a bruise, really, nothing serious,” Yarra rushed to explain. “Besides, it wasn’t you, it was the wall.”
That got a smile out of Alice, who accepted Jody’s outstretched hand to help her to her feet. Yarra was next, and as soon as she stood, Jody gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, Yarra,” she whispered.
“No worries, Jody. Anytime,” Yarra said with a smile.
“Do you need ice for that shoulder?”
Jody must have noticed the surprise on her face because she smiled. “You winced when Alice leaned back against your shoulder. How bad is it?”
“Not too bad. I bumped it twice. I’m sure it’s going to be a nice bruise, but that’s it. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get some ice on it in a little while. I don’t want Alice to feel bad about it.”
Jody nodded in understanding and
moved toward the table, grabbing the glass of lemonade to put it in front of Alice. “Drink some more, Alice. You’ll also need to eat something.”
Joan was about to get up, but Sam put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back in the chair. “I’ve got this, Joan. Fiona will help me, right, Red?” She winked at Yarra and pointed to a chair. “Sit and relax, while Fiona and I will whip up some breakfast.”
Fiona obediently joined Sam in the kitchen. “What do you need me to do?” she asked. “Eggs? Toast?”
Sam, who was pulling items out of the refrigerator glanced at Fiona. “You can help by making toast,” she said. “But what I’d really like you to do is to keep an eye out for Trish and intercept her before she comes in. She needs to know what happened and I know Alice will tell her also, but I believe your input is valuable too. She might—.” Sam was interrupted by an enthusiastic bark from Kurt, and she sent Fiona a smile. “That must be Trish. Go ahead, I’ve got this.”
Fiona nodded and slipped out of the door. She petted Kurt and watched Trishia and Lucy walk up to the house. They were walking hand in hand, something Fiona had noticed happened more than before. They had always been open about their relationship but were guarded in their public displays of affection. Until recently. They looked like they were out for a casual stroll, but Fiona noticed the tension in the lines around Trishia’s eyes. She knew the situation with Alice weighed heavily on her. Fiona had seen the concern in her eyes every time she looked at her. It made her like Trishia even more, and she was glad she and Lucy were together.
“Hey, Red,” Lucy said as soon as they were within earshot. “Are you the welcoming committee or did they banish you from the kitchen?”
“Neither,” Fiona said. “Or, maybe both, it all depends on how you look at it.” She grinned at Lucy’s scowl. “What? Too early for riddles?” she teased.
“Get back to me after I’ve consumed some caffeine,” Lucy muttered, climbing the stairs to the veranda.
