Everything We Keep, Di Walker [best pdf reader for ebooks txt] 📗

you deal with it. Nell said she would help us work all this stuff out. We just need to give it time.’

Agatha took a long piece of chicken from her plate and lowered her hand under the table. Chief was there waiting.

‘He has you pegged,’ Rita said, leaning back in her chair and letting out a laugh. ‘You’re a real softy, Agatha Grace.’

‘So, you think, when I’m older, and have a real job and stuff, I’ll be able to help them?’

‘We’ll be able to help them,’ Katherine said. ‘Lawson and I aren’t going anywhere. The question is, are you?’

Agatha turned in her chair and picked up Chief. Nestling him as he tried to get closer to the chicken on her plate, she looked at Rita and then to Katherine.

‘If it’s okay with you, Katherine, I’d like to stay here.’

Katherine nodded. ‘Bonne décision.’

‘Right, now that that is all settled, I say let’s finish up here and take the First Aid tin into the sitting room and watch the news,’ Rita said cheerfully.

‘You two go right ahead,’ said Agatha. ‘I have homework to do. Come on Chief.’

When Agatha left the room, Katherine let out a sigh, ‘Thank you, Rita. I’m new to this parenting thing.’

‘She’s about to be a teenager, Katherine. I can tell you from experience, this is just the start of it.’ Seeing the look of shock on Katherine’s face, Rita picked up the tin and passed it to her. ‘I suggest you get your own First Aid tin.’

Katherine chuckled, ‘Cup of tea?’

Despite the air conditioner keeping the evening heat at bay, a cosy feeling settled over the house as if it was breathing its own sigh of relief.

42

‘Lawson sent me a text,’ Katherine said, ‘just before zero six hundred. He said to tell you he had a training session at zero five hundred.’

‘Really? . . . Nine.’

‘Yes. I told you he can be competitive.’

‘Ten. . . ’

‘Mind you, he’s also very, very good at bluffing.’

‘Eleven. So . . . maybe he . . . didn’t train?’

‘Well, that’s the thing about bluffing, it’s hard to know.’

‘Twelve. I’m stopping . . . at twenty-five. Did he. . . say how. . . many he did?’

‘I would suggest he would see that as classified informaiton,’ Katherine replied.

Katherine looked out over the bay. Not a single grey cloud remained after the storm swept out to sea late in the night. She likes the bay. It has its own moods. ‘I’m going to go and sit on the bench, while you finish.’

‘Fourteen. Okay.’

Chief jumped up beside Katherine, keeping an eye on the seagulls and occasionally checking on Agatha.

‘Is something wrong, Katherine?’ Agatha stood near her, readjusting her cap to capture some wisps of hair that had escaped. Her face was flushed.

‘No, sweetheart. Nothing’s wrong. I think I’m just impatient for the two weeks to be up, so we can all get on with the next part.’

‘I like Lawson. He’s funny,’ Agatha said, picking up Chief and sitting next to Katherine.

Katherine grinned. ‘He is certainly funny. I’m glad the two of you get along.’ She turned on the bench and looked at Agatha. ‘I need to tell you something.’Agatha’s eyes widened. She looked away from Katherine and stared out at the bay. ‘Okay.’

‘I’m not sure I’ll always get it right, you know. It’s all new to me, raising a child, not that you can really be called a child anymore.’

‘In a way it’s new to me too Katherine. I only have a few memories of what my parents were really like. I’m so used to looking after myself.’

‘I want you to know that I will never try to replace your mum, that’s not my role.’

‘I know that.’

‘But I also want you to know this, Agatha. Whatever happens our home is your home. Always.’

‘Nell said that once I turn eighteen, I can work out where I want to live, you know. That you don’t have to have me here anymore.’

‘That’s right. We don’t have to, but we want to. This is your home. I can already picture us, Tuesday night dinners, like Rita does with her family, no matter how old you are.’

‘I can picture it too.’

They sat for a moment as morning joggers ran past, the cool bay breeze giving Agatha goose bumps.

‘All right. Enough of this.’ Katherine said, standing up and brushing her hands on her t-shirt. ‘It’s a school day.’ They headed along the path towards home, with Chief at their heels.

‘I thought we would go shopping this weekend, get some things for your bedroom. Do you want to see if Tully wants to come?’

‘That would be great – she loves shopping, I mean really loves it. I’ll ask her.’

As Agatha showered and then packed her schoolbag, Katherine made her lunch and made an extra banana sandwich for Morgan.

When Katherine dropped Agatha at the school gate, Tully was already there waiting. She ran over to the car. ‘Morning Katherine. I’d love to come shopping – Agatha messaged me this morning. Can we go to Chadstone? Cora and Morgan are going to come to, if that’s okay with you. After we shop can we go to a movie?’

Katherine started laughing, ‘Sounds like a plan. You girls work it out and I’ll be the taxi. Have a good day.’

As they headed towards their lockers, Agatha felt a lightness in her step, as is she was floating. She realised she was looking at the whole page.

Mr Brown cleared his throat. ‘Rightio. Not much on the bulletin today, folks. There’s a note here to remind you all that parent teacher conferences will take place at the end of the term.’ The class let out a collective groan. ‘Yes, well thanks for that feedback – open mind, folks, open mind. Try and see it as a positive.’

‘Wonder if anyone’s gonna show up for you, Ag – ahh – tharr. . . ’ Jax laughed from behind. Tully swung around in her chair.

‘Shut it Jax. No one cares what you think.’

‘Well obviously you do Tully,’ he said