Lachie jumped up and down in the parched backyard. ‘Three hundred and fifty thousand bucks?!’
Jackson punched the air. ‘We’re rich!’
‘Well, not exactly.’ Vanessa laughed. She still owed two hundred and ninety-three thousand dollars on the mortgage, and then she’d have Marianne’s fees on top of that—and regardless of what Dave had said, she was planning to send him a cheque. Plus, she really should get a new car—the Corolla was on its last legs. ‘Most of it’s accounted for, but I reckon there’ll be enough left over for an Easter holiday in Hawaii.’
‘Hawaii? Sweet!’
As the boys excitedly speculated about surfing lessons and live volcanoes, Daisy leaped in the air and barked. Vanessa felt a flash of sadness that Daisy couldn’t come to Hawaii with them, but she resolved to send her to one of those posh ‘pet resorts’ she’d heard about, where dogs could stay in studio rooms with lounge suites and TVs that opened out onto grassy grounds. It would probably be exorbitantly expensive, but so what? Daisy deserved a special holiday just as much as the rest of them.
Joy’s car pulled into the driveway and the boys ran to meet her, clamouring around her window.
‘Nan, Mum got three hundred and fifty thousand bucks!’
‘Mum won, Nan!’
‘Oh, Nessie, that’s wonderful!’ Joy cried as she climbed from the car with her knee joints clicking. ‘Congratulations! I’m so proud of you.’
‘Thanks, Mum.’
They shared a hug. Vanessa felt radiant. She really had negotiated a three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar settlement with hardened professionals all by herself.
‘I knew you’d do it.’ Joy released her, and Vanessa noticed her mother’s breasts straining against her plunging neckline. Since her epiphany about Jack, Joy had lowered the volume on her more provocative outfits, but her cleavage was still as non-negotiable as her fingers or toes.
‘Mum?’
Vanessa felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. It was Jackson. He’d shot up in the past few months and now he was slightly taller than her. She felt a lump in her throat—he was growing up.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked in his new squeaky deep voice that didn’t quite fit yet. He patted her self-consciously. ‘Are you glad it’s all over?’
‘I’m very glad it’s all over. Thank you for asking, sweetheart.’ She squeezed his hand and he reddened.
‘Hey, Mum?’ Lachie interrupted. ‘Will there be enough left over for a PS5 Pro?’
Vanessa grinned. ‘There might be.’
‘Yes!’ Lachie shouted, jumping high. ‘Sweet!’
‘That’s sick!’ said Jackson.
‘G’day,’ said Craig.
Vanessa spun around to see her ex-husband. He was wearing loafers without socks. You’re kidding.
‘Craig. I didn’t hear the car.’
‘Hey, Dad, Mum got a settlement!’
‘Three hundred and fifty thousand bucks!’
‘Really?’ Craig looked impressed—as well he might, thought Vanessa. ‘That’s brilliant, Ness. Congratulations.’
‘Thanks.’
His loafers had little tassels on top and they made him look like an idiot.
‘Okay, fellas, hop to it,’ he said. ‘We’re picking Nat up from work in twenty minutes.’
‘Sweet,’ said Jackson.
‘Awesome,’ said Lachie.
‘That’s a dollar,’ said Vanessa.
‘Why does Nat need a lift?’ asked Joy. ‘Is her broomstick in for a service?’
‘Mum. Shhh.’ Vanessa stifled a laugh, but the boys were heading for the back door and hadn’t heard.
Craig scowled at Joy. ‘That’s supposed to be funny, is it?’
‘Only for those with a sense of humour.’ Joy winked and followed the boys into the house. Vanessa was about to say, ‘Sorry about Mum, don’t take any notice,’ but then she thought, No, why should I? So she didn’t. Craig looked like he was waiting, but when she didn’t say anything he let it go.
‘Three hundred and fifty grand, eh? Marcus must be pretty cluey to negotiate that much dough.’
‘Actually, Marcus wasn’t even there. I did the negotiating.’
He grinned as if she’d just cracked a cute joke. ‘If only, eh?’
Vanessa felt a rush of rage and drew herself up to her full height. ‘Craig,’ she said icily, ‘you might like to think that I’m an ineffectual person who warrants pity, but I’m actually a beautiful mother, a caring friend and a talented author with the courage to stand up for my rights in the public arena.’ She realised she was quoting Dave and almost toppled over a cliff of despair, but she managed to bring herself back from the brink. ‘And another thing—’ she held out her hand ‘—I want my key back.’
Tap! Tap! Vanessa stirred from a fitful sleep and blinked at her bedside clock. It was 5.14 am. Tap! Tap! What was that? She looked outside. It was pitch-black. And then she heard a window open. Vanessa felt a cold clutch of fear. She jumped out of bed and grabbed a baseball bat that she kept nearby for just this eventuality. Daisy woke. Vanessa made a ‘shhh’ gesture and then silently tiptoed down the hall as Daisy followed.
Joy’s bedroom door was ajar. Vanessa stopped as she heard the murmur of voices. She raised the bat in readiness and peered around the door—only to exhale with relief when she saw Joy helping Keith through her window. Sweet, gorgeous Keith! He was carrying the Herald Sun.
‘I’m sorry to wake you up,’ he was saying, ‘but the early edition’s just come in, and I was tickled pink to read about Nessie’s settlement. I thought you might want to see the article?’
Vanessa caught her mother’s expression in a sliver of moonlight. She was wearing an old polyester nightie and her hair was scraped back from a face devoid of make-up, and Vanessa thought that she’d never looked so beautiful.
‘Oh, Keith, I’ve missed you so much …’
‘Not as much as I’ve missed you.’
And they reached for each other in the moonlight.
Misty-eyed with happiness for her mum, Vanessa smiled and closed the door. She made her way to the kitchen. No point going back to bed, she was wide awake now. She’d give Daisy a chicken neck and make herself a cup of tea and check out the news sites, and then she’d … what? A sense of hopelessness descended as she thought of her future stretching long and lonely before her. But that was crazy, she told herself. She had so much to look forward to—paying off her mortgage, the holiday with the boys in Hawaii, self-publishing her second novel. Vanessa cheered at the thought of her novel. Yes, that’s what she’d do—she’d get back to work on Laws of Love. She went to her room and grabbed her laptop, and then she made herself a cup of tea and started typing at the wonky table.
Rosie’s head was lying on Dane’s feet as he sat at Virginia’s kitchen table.
‘I’m sorry, I hope you don’t mind,’ Virginia said, but Dane reached down and patted Rosie’s woolly head.
‘She’s better than ugg boots, aren’t you, mate?’
Vanessa felt a small sense of comfort. She may have lost Dave Rendall forever, but she’d always have Dane Campbell.