Their car pulled into the driveway just a few hours later, kicking up stones on the gravel as it came over the hill, and parked in front of the house.
Jena took a deep breath and glanced at Will, who nodded at her. She was trusting that he’d ease them through this, being the more comforting, less confronting person. She just needed to bite her tongue and play nice until they could get rid of them. Make a plan. Sort the details.
It would be okay.
Even if nothing was okay. Because her grandmother was dead and Cade had been consumed.
It was all her fault. Pat and David would take one look at her and know that. Would blame her for the whole thing. Like she’d always suspected they’d done.
No. It wasn’t her fault – at least, not the fire. Just this. And she’d carry that with her. It was her responsibility, her burden to bear.
The car doors opened, and her aunt and uncle stepped out. Jena went to meet them, pressing her lips hard together so that they wouldn’t tremble.
This was the only family she had left now, and she wasn’t sure they even liked her. But then Pat opened her arms, her lips parting in a mournful sigh, and Jena was down the steps and pressed against her chest, enfolded in her embrace like she was ten years old again.
That had been the last time she’d really allowed herself to be vulnerable with family.
‘Oh Jena, I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have asked you to come here alone. We should have come too.’ Aunt Pat was already crying; Jena had never seen her do that before. ‘Poor Mum.’
David came around behind them, wrapped one arm around Pat’s waist and the other tentatively around Jena’s shoulder. She let him. Let them both. Closing her eyes and inhaling the still familiar scent of Pat’s sandalwood soap, she just let herself be here in this moment, savouring the feeling of being wanted.
David pulled away first, and then Pat, who stroked Jena’s hair back from her face and peered into her eyes. ‘You’re okay, though? It sounds like he tried to take you out of this world as well.’
‘I’m okay,’ she choked out. ‘I just ….’
Pat shook her head. ‘No, don’t say it. This wasn’t your fault.’
Jena really heard it then. The words. She’d heard them before from her aunt, but she’d never really heard them.
This wasn’t your fault.
But ….
‘Jena,’ Will said, cutting through her thoughts, where her thoughts were heading. ‘Why don’t you come inside and we’ll have some tea and coffee.’
‘Yeah, yeah okay.’ Jena moved towards the steps, gesturing towards Will. ‘Ah, this is Will. He was looking after Gran, before ….’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Will said, saving her again. ‘We talked on the phone but it’s always good to put faces to names.’ He waited for her to move inside, waited for her aunt and uncle to step up and then shook their hands, said warm, inviting things. Jena was washed into the kitchen on a tide of his kind words and comfort.
She sat at the table in her spot, and Will put on the jug, got out cups and milk and sugar.
‘Jena?’ Pat asked.
‘Huh?’ Jena looked across at her aunt.
‘I was just asking if you’d heard from the lawyer, or if Rose had made a decision about what was happening with the place.’
‘Oh.’ She chewed on the inside of her cheek, and then said, ‘The Mertenses are buying the land, but I’m not sure they settled on a price. And I’m keeping the house.’
The shock of Jena’s words forced Pat back in her chair; but Pat wasn’t the only one surprised. Will’s eyes looked like they were about to explode.
Jena wasn’t sure why she’d said that, but it felt right. This was her place now, and it was up to her to make sure nothing more went wrong here. She needed to fix it. She’d do it for Gran, for her parents, her siblings. She’d do it for herself.
And for Will, who was still looking at her with a strange expression on his face.
‘I thought … well, this is a surprise,’ Pat said carefully.
‘You can take anything you want from the house. I don’t need it all, I just … I think it’s time I came home. Got myself sorted out.’
Pat reached across the table and patted her hand. ‘That’s good, hon. Real good.’ And she nodded, as if she actually meant it. ‘We can take some time off and come help you sort through things when it’s all settled, help you make it your own.’ Pat glanced over at David, who was sitting silently.
‘I don’t know what the will says about the money—’
‘Not now, Jena,’ David said softly. ‘We’ll work it out with the lawyer.’ And he nodded then, as if that was all that needed to be said.
They drank their coffee in relative silence, which Jena thought was probably a blessing. Will filled the spaces in with little stories Rose had told him over their time together, which made Pat laugh and cry, and laugh again.
Finally, the mugs were empty, and Jena felt stretched thin, as though she couldn’t stand to be this close to them for any longer. Pat seemed to understand, because she stood up, tapped David on the arm and said, ‘We’ve got an appointment at the morgue. I want to see her—’ Pat choked down a sob. ‘And we’ll make the arrangements. You don’t need to worry about that. Just ….’ Pat rounded the table, and cupped Jena’s chin in her hand.
She looked so old, then, old, and like Rose. The weight of years pulling her skin down so that it seemed to pool beneath her chin. ‘Look after yourself, okay? That’s all we ask. And we’ll be in touch about the rest.’ Pat kissed her on the cheek, and Jena steeled herself, forced some energy into her limbs, and a smile onto her face as they retraced their steps to the doorway and said goodbye again.
Jena and Will stood side by side at the top of the steps and watched as Pat and David drove away.
‘So, you said you had some ideas?’ Will said after a bit.