As Candice tied the laces on her walking shoes, her dog spun around in excited circles at her feet. She ran her hand along the labrador’s back and scratched the fur at the base of her tail.
“Okay, Daisy, settle down, girl.” Daisy’s hair had taken on a luscious copper shine as she matured; nothing like the cream colour she was when Candice chose her from the litter three years ago. Candice clipped on the leash and held it firmly as she opened the front door.
It was 6 a.m. and the sun was already cresting the trees in the park across the road. She breathed in the lemon myrtle scented air as she stepped down her recently painted front steps. She was proud of the work she’d done so far on the 1920s workers’ cottage. It was situated on a main road, had the original tin roof and weatherboard exterior, and had required substantial renovations both inside and out, but she loved it. With just two bedrooms it was considered a very small home, but in comparison to the caravan she’d lived in for six years it was luxury.
Daisy kept the leash taut and as she set a steady pace towards the green acres in the distance, Candice reflected on the significance of the day. It was Melbourne Cup day, nine years after the biggest horse race in Australia changed her life forever.
An image that had been permanently etched into her memory banks flashed into her mind. It was from the last time she’d visited Jack in jail. It was his birthday and at the time he’d been behind bars for four years. He was a broken man. Maximum security, his punishment for armed robbery, was torturous.
Candice was forced to speak to him through a thick pane of glass. The physical and emotional stress on Jack was undeniable. He’d lost a lot of weight and his gaunt face matched his sorrowful eyes. Somehow it made him seem guiltier. Not that it mattered. There was no question of his guilt—he’d never denied robbing the bank. But the fact that he’d committed the robbery in a misguided attempt to save her life placed a huge slice of guilt on her shoulders, too.
He would never have done what he did if she hadn’t been terminally ill. Was it acceptable—perhaps even gallant—to break the law in order to save someone’s life? This was a debate that had been dominating her thoughts since the third of November 1992.
Her gift to Jack on his fortieth birthday had been her forgiveness. He’d placed his palms on the finger-smudged glass between them, his chin trembled, tears pooled in his eyes. It was a huge relief to finally say those words to him. She’d stood up, too, placed her palms in line with his on the glass, and as tears streamed down his cheeks she experienced his relief with him.
They were both sobbing loudly when the guard led her from the visiting room. It had taken her weeks to get herself back together after that visit. She hadn’t returned since that day. She couldn’t bear to see him like that ever again.
It was Steel who had been her only link to Jack since then. When he had first knocked on her door she’d wanted nothing to do with him. But the cop had a charming manner about him and after years of trying she gave in to his persistence. Soon she came to enjoy his annual visit. Not only did it give her a chance to chat about Jack—the real Jack, not the person he had arrested, but the man she’d loved—he also confirmed with each visit that Jack was okay.
When Candice reached the little bridge over a slow-flowing creek she realised she’d picked up her pace and dropped it back a notch. One thing she had learnt since the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was inserted next to her heart was to listen to her body. Often she forgot about the device in her chest that kept her alive. Although she was eternally grateful to the anonymous donor who’d saved her, she’d become almost obsessed with finding out who he was. On many occasions she’d daydreamed about running into him again. Her only hope was that he had been rewarded a thousand times over for his generosity.
Ironically, using the money had been one of the most difficult decisions of her life and in the end it was her brother who’d convinced her. Maybe it was because he wanted to get on with his life, too. When Jack was incarcerated, Michael put his career and almost every other aspect of his life on hold to look after her. Michael helped her get a home loan by going guarantor for her. She bought a little cottage in East Brisbane and according to him she’d bought it for a song. Michael had remained with her until she was back on her feet again. Then, once she was fully recovered and had returned to her previous work in a childcare centre, she’d purchased herself Daisy for company. It was only then that Michael went off to lead his own life again. Candice would never forget the enormous sacrifices he had made for her.
She slowed down and walked the final paces to her favourite spot in the park. The bench seat overlooked a large lake, and at this time in the morning the water was as still as glass. Daisy panted at her feet, waiting patiently for the treat she knew was coming.
“Good girl.” Candice unzipped the bum bag from her waist and removed the bacon-smelling snack. Daisy eased it from her palm and then settled at Candice’s feet to chew through it.
It didn’t take long for the ducks to make their way over. They landed with a splash and left triangular patterns in their wake as they cruised up to the edge of the lake near her. Candice removed four slices of bread from the bum bag and began tossing small chunks into the water. Soon a couple of turtles bobbed about and she tried to land the food morsels near them so they had a fighting chance against the ducks.
It suddenly occurred to her that feeding the wild animals was probably prohibited. Maybe I’m breaking the law. The thought tumbled from nowhere. She’d fed the ducks and turtles nearly every day since moving into her little cottage and not once had she thought about the consequences of her actions.
Is this how easy it was for Jack? A tear slid down her cheek and with uncanny timing, Daisy rested her chin on Candice’s knee.
There was no doubt about the reason Jack did what he did. But as she looked into her dog’s inquisitive eyes, she wondered if he still believed it was worth it.