No Place Like Home E-Book

Lilly Mirren

• Herausgeber: 8th Note Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Home Sweet Home
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 302

Beschreibung

What Lisa really needs is a time-out, a circuit breaker to give her space to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. A new life in a small town provides just the opportunity she needs to formulate a plan.   It should be easy. She's smart, decisive, confident - there's only one problem, she has no idea where to begin. Her thoughtful plans are soon interrupted by some unexpected guests who teach her that sometimes the twists and turns in life can bring the most joy.   Travel back to Murwillumbah in this satisfying sequel to the enthralling and emotional novel, Home Sweet Home, by a USA Today bestselling author.

Leseprobe

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

COOK’S BAKERY

BOOK 2

LILLY MIRREN

Copyright © 2023 by Lilly Mirren

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Also by Lilly Mirren

Home Sweet Home

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Glossary of Terms

About the Author

ABOUT THIS BOOK

What Lisa really needs is a time-out, a circuit breaker to give her space to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. A new life in a small town provides just the opportunity she needs to formulate a plan. It should be easy. She's smart, decisive, confident - there's only one problem, she has no idea where to begin.

Her thoughtful plans are soon interrupted by some unexpected guests who teach her that sometimes the twists and turns in life can bring the most joy.

Please note:

This book is set in Australia, so may on occasion use terms and spelling that may be unfamiliar to you. A glossary has been included at the end of the book for your convenience.

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home

- Home, Sweet Home by John Howard Payne

1

Thirty-Four Years Ago

With legs pumping, Lisa Miller leaned forwards over the handlebars, the wind buffeting her ears. Pink streamers fluttered and snapped in the wind by her hands. She was far too big for her bike. She’d told her parents so countless times, but they didn’t listen. An eight-year-old didn’t need sparkly pink streamers. And besides that, her knees almost hit her elbows when she pedalled. It was embarrassing, but there was nothing to be done about it since it was still another nine long months until Christmas. She’d have to make do with her sister’s hand-me-down.

“Come on, Lisa!” shouted Callie, several bike lengths ahead and standing on her pedals, her brown ponytail flapping about her head. “They’re catching up.”

Lisa glanced over one shoulder. Behind her, three boys ran, feet slapping on the bitumen, their laughter and shouts drifting to Lisa’s ears whenever she turned her head and the noise of the wind died down for a moment. Her heart flipped and her mouth went dry as she stood up to push harder still. The road curved then ascended; they’d definitely catch her on the hill. This was the hill that always bested her, the one right before her driveway. Most of the time she swung a leg over the centre bar and climbed off the bike to push it slowly up the slope, not even attempting to ride it. But this time, she didn’t have a choice. If she got off to push, they’d catch her for sure. And she had no idea what that would mean, given she’d never been caught by a group of boys before, but the thought of it sent bubbling panic in a spike up her throat and made her head feel light.

Her breathing grew laboured, her legs ached. “Callie, wait!” she cried.

Callie didn’t even look back. She simply peddled steadily up the hill, pulling further and further ahead.

Lisa puffed harder, the bike slowing even as she pushed with all her strength, the road steepening beneath her. Behind her the sound of boys whooping in victory spurred her onwards, her eyes widening in fear. They were almost on her when footsteps on the hill above caught her ear.

It was Callie, running in her direction. She passed Lisa, and Lisa stopped the bike— breath like fire in her lungs—turning to watch.

Callie stood behind Lisa and lifted her hands into fists. Lisa’s throat tightened. Her sister would be hurt. She set her bike down on the road, ran to stand by Callie’s side and glanced into her sister’s narrowed brown eyes as she raised her own fists high. Her heart pounded a staccato rhythm in her throat.

Callie grinned. The boys stopped short, seeming unsure of what to do now.

“What’s wrong?” mocked Callie. “Come over here and I’ll show you somethin’.” She puffed out her chest and moved towards them. They backed up, eyes darting as they laughed nervously.

The boys pushed each other, urging the others forward.

“You two are crazy!” jeered one boy.

“Yeah, crazy Millers!” added another.

Callie laughed in a maniacal way as she charged at them, arms flailing. The three boys turned and fled. She chuckled and let her hands fall to her sides. Then, with one arm around Lisa’s shoulders, she smiled down into her younger sister’s face. “Let’s go home, Bear.”

Lisa put her bike away beside Callie’s in the garage and followed her sister, still laughing, into the house. In the kitchen, Callie poured them each a tall glass of cold milk and Lisa chugged it between gasps of breath from the climb up the hill.

She set her empty glass on the bench by Callie’s.

“That’ll show them,” said Callie to no one in particular.

Muffled yells drifted down the stairs and both sisters looked up at the ceiling overhead in unison. Callie inhaled a slow, deep breath, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. They both knew what it was. Their parents were fighting again. Lisa’s hand found Callie’s and she slipped it into her sister’s and squeezed.

Callie’s nostrils flared. “Let’s go to the playroom.”

They walked hand in hand through the living room to the small, rectangular space that jutted off the outside verandah they called the playroom. It was in desperate need of a paint job, but the colourful toys in boxes against the walls brought a smile to Lisa’s face as soon as they stepped inside.

Then, she caught sight of the one thing both of them loved more than anything else in the room. Their tent.

It was pink and purple, shaped like a princess castle. It stood in the centre of the room, the fabric door hung over the entry and with a laugh Lisa pushed it aside. The two girls crawled inside and lay on their backs, side by side, staring up at the pink dome glowing overhead.

Shouting echoed through the ceiling. Lisa reached for Callie’s hand.

Lisa hummed a tune to drown out the fighting.

“I wish I was somewhere else,” said Callie, suddenly.

Lisa turned her head to study her sister’s profile. Callie’s eyes were shut. “Where?”

“Anywhere,” replied Callie. Her eyes popped open. “I want to see everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yep, the whole world. I’m gonna go to Africa and see elephants, and to Antarctica to see the penguins. Then, I’m gonna visit that leaning tower and see if I can make it stand straight. I bet if a few of us pushed all at the same time we could fix it.”

Lisa laughed. “You could not.”

“Could too.” Callie inhaled a quick breath, then let her eyes drift shut again.

“Well, I’m gonna have a family of my own. We’ll love each other forever, and no one will ever fight.”

Callie blew out roughly through puckered lips. “Not me. I’ll be rich and famous.”

“You can visit, have Christmas at my house then. You can bring all the best toys.”

Callie nodded, her eyes still shut. “I’ll be the cool auntie and you’ll work your fingers to the bone washing clothes and cooking for your ungrateful children.”

Lisa inhaled a sharp breath. “Just because Mum says that, doesn’t mean it’s true. I’m going to hold my babies, love them, and sing to them all the time. I’ll cook their favourite biscuits and let them choose the clothes they want to wear.” It was a particularly painful point of contention for Lisa that Mum never let her pick the clothes she bought and wore. She inevitably found herself squeezed into jeans that were a size too small and layered pink dresses with ruffles that were hopeless for adventuring or riding her bike.

Lisa closed her eyes like Callie, humming the tune for Every Breath You Take. It wasn’t her favourite song or anything, but every time she heard it on the radio it got stuck in her head for days, and she couldn’t help humming it until it drove Mum mad.

Callie began to sing, softly at first, the words not much more than a whisper. Lisa joined in, and their voices rose. They sang together, two shaky voices climbing higher and louder as the words tumbled out of their small mouths. Callie’s voice was strong and clear, Lisa’s breathy and a little off-key. She smiled, her eyes still shut, and squeezed Callie’s hand. She couldn’t hear the fighting any longer.

2

Present Day

The horse’s dappled grey coat shivered, shifting a fly from his shoulder. Jasper turned his head to watch as Lisa struggled to hold onto the saddle. Where was she supposed to put her hands? She tried to recall Trina’s lessons, but it was so awkward. One hand under the poking up front bit of the saddle, then another under the round, soft back part, she shuffled towards Jasper. He watched her as though judging her efforts.

“I’ll be with you sometime today,” she muttered. “You might as well eat some of that hay I put on the ground in front of you while you wait.”

Jasper dislodged another fly, this time with a wave of his grey and black tail. The coarse hair caught Lisa across the mouth, and she spat it free with a scrunched-up face. Then coughed twice.

“Ugh, oh wow. That’s gotta be about a billion germs directly in my mouth — I don’t want to think about what that brown stuff caked to your tail is. Please tell me it’s not what I think it is.” She grimaced. “Thanks for that, old fella.”

The horse lowered his head to munch on some hay while Lisa regrouped. She’d almost dropped the saddle during the tail-swishing incident but had managed to adjust her grip and use one knee to balance it on. Saddling a horse shouldn’t be so hard. Trina Cook, her best friend, owned the farmhouse and had managed to teach herself how to saddle a horse from some YouTube videos. Surely Lisa should be able to do it after watching her friend at least a dozen times over the past three months since she’d moved in with her.

A willy wagtail perched on top of the half-door attached to one of the stalls in the stables. The bird’s tail wagged back and forth as he studied her through beady, black eyes.

“I don’t need your judgement, either,” she huffed, eyeing the bird. “This is harder than it looks.”

The bright sunshine of a pleasant winter’s day cast a rectangular shadow on the hay-strewn dirt floor through the open stable doors. Outside those doors, birds twittered and somewhere in the distance a cow lowed.

Lisa turned her back to the horse to haul the saddle skyward, when she tripped over something and fell backwards. Her grip on the saddle loosened, but not in time to break her fall and she landed hard on her rear end, rolling onto her back with a cry of pain.

Jasper sniffed her, then took a sideways step away from her.

Lisa squeezed her eyes shut as pain radiated up her back. She felt the muscles of her lower back tightening, then seizing. She’d often experienced lower back pain. Her physiotherapist in Sydney said it was something to do with a bulging disc. She hoped she hadn’t done permanent damage.

She blinked her eyes open and relaxed on her back as best she could, the pain coming in waves now.

“Ugh. Ahhhh…” she cried, as her muscles tightened, then loosened, then tightened again. “I don’t think I can move.”

The black stable cat with white mittens, Cinder, purred beside her, tail wrapped around his plump body.

“Did you do this?” she asked.

He didn’t respond.

She grunted. “Can you at least help me up?”

Nothing.

“Argh!” She lurched onto her side, then slowly worked her way up to hands and knees.

The pain seized her lower back muscles into a permanent spasm, and she was sure she wouldn’t be able to stand, but somehow, she managed it by holding onto the wall as she inched her way up.

Lisa released Jasper, who wandered back out to the yard. Then she eyed the saddle, still sitting where it’d landed when she dropped it. There was no way she could stoop over and pick it up; she might not ever manage to be vertical again.

She shuffled across the yard and up the back stairs. Then, into the house where she lowered herself with a groan into the reclining chair in the lounge room.

Trina followed from the kitchen with one eyebrow arched. “Are you okay?”

Lisa grunted with her eyes squeezed shut. “I hurt my back.”

“Oh no! What happened?”

“Trying to saddle the horse and I tripped over Cinder. That cat gets under my feet every single time I go outside.” She pushed the words through clenched teeth. “I swear he planned the whole thing.”

Trina laughed and combed her curly brown bob behind her ears, then reached for a cushion to offer Lisa. “Would you like this?”

Lisa shook her head. “I can’t move.”

“That sounds serious,” replied Trina, her eyes narrowed. “I suppose that means you can’t come to the bakery today, then.”

“I’m sorry,” said Lisa, opening her eyes. “I really don’t think I can.”

“That’s okay, Mum and I will manage fine without you. And you weren’t rostered on, anyway. I’ve got some muscle relaxants upstairs. I’ll get you one if you like.”

Lisa cringed as a pang ran down her spine. “Yes, please.”

Trina hurried upstairs, soon returning with a glass of water and a packet of tablets. She handed the water to Lisa, then popped a tablet out of the packet to give her. Lisa downed it in one gulp, then gave the glass back to her friend.

“I made eggs. Do you think you could manage to eat something?” asked Trina, hovering. I was going to take some over to Peter’s before work, but I could make more if you like.”

Lisa tried to shake her head, but a stab of pain stopped her mid-shake. She loved that Trina made time to cook her boyfriend and neighbour breakfast on the days when he was up early for a shift at the police station. It allowed the two of them time together, which was often hard to find given both their schedules. “Uh, no thank you. I could probably drink something through a straw though.”

“You should try to get some food in your tummy with that tablet. I’ll make you a lovely fruit and spinach smoothie with almonds and coconut water. How does that sound?”

“Perfect, thanks.” Ever since she’d moved in with her friend, she’d begun drinking smoothies for breakfast and had become slightly addicted to them. Trina had one every morning with her scrambled eggs and Lisa had to admit it was much more delicious and satisfying than her usual espresso in the car on the way to work.

It’d been three months since she’d arrived in the small, rural township of Murwillumbah after leaving Sydney and her career in finance. The memory of those days of long commutes and hours behind a computer faded more with each passing month. These days, she spent most of her time serving customers in the bakery and cafe that she and Trina co-owned with Trina’s mother, Anthea.

Trina carried a tall cup with a lid and straw into the lounge room and set it on the side table next to Lisa, along with her mobile phone.

She patted Lisa’s arm. “I’ve set your phone beside the smoothie. The TV remote is there too if you want to watch something. Call me if you need anything. I’ll check in later to see how you’re going. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks, hon,” replied Lisa.

“I was going to have dinner in town with Pete tonight after his shift, but maybe I should cancel…?”

Lisa frowned. “No, don’t cancel your date. I’ll be fine. I’m sure the medicine will kick in soon, then I’ll be able to get around on my own.”

Trina sighed. “Hmm…I don’t know. Anyway, we can talk more about it later. I’ve got to get moving or Mum will kill me. I’m already going in late since it’s Saturday and technically my day off. But I promised her I’d come in before lunch, since she hates doing the lunch rush on her own with only Lettie to help her.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise. This is what I get for trying to take a morning horse ride before work. Let’s face facts — I’m just not that cool.”

Trina chuckled. “Neither am I.”

“You’re the coolest person I know,” replied Lisa with a wink.

“Apparently, your circle of friends is dangerously small,” returned Trina, pressing a kiss to the top of Lisa’s head. “See you later.”

Lisa listened as Trina started her car and pulled out of the short driveway before heading to town along the winding dirt road. The quaint farmhouse was set back from the road and surrounded by rolling, brown-tinged fields dotted with stout leafy trees, still green in winter, and grazing cattle with swishing tails.

Lisa loved it here.

It was home to her now. Even though she hadn’t been settled for long, it was the place she felt most at ease in the world. Memories of Sydney sparked a nervous tension in her gut — she’d been stressed, anxious, worked to the bone in the city. Not to mention the lack of a social life, given the fact that everyone her age was neck deep in parenting and she hadn’t been on a date in at least two years. She blamed her parents — every relationship she had always ended. If she didn’t pick the wrong guy, she’d sabotage things well before they got serious.

Perhaps she was afraid she’d end up in a relationship like theirs — cold, emotionless and something to escape from the first moment she could. They’d behaved most of her life as though they were stuck, and that was the last thing she wanted. But perhaps she was being too hard on them. Maybe they were simply trying to make it work. Either way, the idea of following in their footsteps gave her a rapid onset migraine.

She’d needed a change. And even though the dating field wasn’t any more impressive in a small country town, at least she’d made good friends and was doing something she loved with her life. Running Cook’s Bakery brought her more satisfaction than any of her high-powered financial management roles had done in years.

It wasn’t the life she’d pictured for herself. By now she’d been certain she’d be a wife and mother, with at least three children. She’d planned on working part-time at a small accounting firm, or local business. She’d pick the kids up after school and run them around in the minivan to soccer training or dance lessons. But instead, she was living in her friend’s farmhouse, working in a bakery, and single. Part of her thought she should give up on finding someone. Every man she’d known over the years was married now.

Every crush, each boyfriend, her university friends, colleagues, the men she’d dated once or twice, even the postman she’d flirted with occasionally when he delivered packages to her unit, all were married and had families. Most also had receding hairlines and expanding waistlines. And through it all, she remained single and alone.

Well, not entirely alone, she had Trina. Something she was very grateful for. But how long before Trina and Peter were married? And would that change their friendship dynamic? She hoped it wouldn’t change things too much, but she’d lived through enough of her friends marrying to know it would impact how much time the two of them spent together, not to mention the fact that she’d have to find her own place and live on her own again.

She shook the self-pity from her thoughts with a deep breath and tried to shift in her seat. The pain in her back didn’t seem quite so bad as it had been. She leaned forwards in the recliner slowly and found that her muscles still spasmed, but not quite as badly as before. She relaxed into the chair with an exhale and reached for the remote. There wasn’t much on television, but she wasn’t in a position to be picky since she couldn’t do anything but sit still. She found a cooking show and turned up the volume.

When her phone rang, she startled then immediately winced in pain. She muted the television and answered with a stifled groan.

“Hello, this is Lisa.”

“Lisa…oh Lisa…” Her mother’s sob-wracked voice had her sitting up straight despite the pain.

“Mum, what is it? What’s wrong?” Her mind tried to think what it could be, what devastating news was about to come her way. She pushed the thoughts down. No, she couldn’t panic, not yet.

“It’s Callie, she’s gone missing,” Mum wailed.

“Missing? What do you mean? What’s happened?”

Mum sobbed and mumbled something incoherent, then her father’s baritone echoed down the line. “Lisa, it’s your father.”

“Hi, Dad, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on. I’m starting to freak out.”

“We don’t know where Callie is. She was following a lead in Bangladesh, and she left the kids with a babysitter in one of the hotels in Dhaka. She was supposed to be back in a few hours, but they haven’t seen her in five days.”

Lisa’s heart slammed against her ribcage as her breathing grew shallow. “The kids? Why did she have them with her?”

“It’s school holidays,” replied Dad. “She took them on this trip to have a bit of fun together. But she couldn’t help herself, she had to look into a story at the same time, and now we have no idea where she is.”

It was something she’d always been afraid would happen eventually. Her carefree sister jumped with both feet into every story she pursued, followed every lead with curious abandon. As her more cautious younger sister, Lisa had often begged Callie to be careful. But Callie always winked, laughed, and then blew her a kiss while continuing to do whatever she pleased. Growing up in a tumultuous household, with loud, volatile parents, had made Lisa cautious, eager to please and anxious about everything. But it’d turned Callie into a fearless adventurer.

“I’m careful enough, Bear. Don’t you worry about me.”

But she did worry. And now it’d happened. Her breath caught in her throat as she imagined her niece and nephew, stranded in a foreign country all alone. They must be terrified.

“Where are Toni and Levi now?”

“They’re on their way home to Sydney. Their flight’s due around eight in the morning, on the third of June,” replied her dad, the scratch of shuffling papers almost deafening her through the phone.

“Dad, can you take me off speaker?”

The background noise ended a moment later and his voice rang through more clearly. “Your mother and I are figuring out what to do next, but…we don’t know. We’ve called the consulate in Dhaka. They said they’re in touch with the local police who are searching the city for her. But I feel like I should be doing something else.” The panic in his voice calmed her in a strange way. She couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. She was the calm one. That was how it’d always been. Callie was the wild child, and Lisa held in her emotions, pulled the family together and got things done.

“I’m coming to Sydney too. I’ll be there the day after tomorrow and catch a taxi from the airport, so you don’t have to worry about picking me up. You have enough on your plate. We’ll figure this out together, Dad. Okay?”

When she hung up the phone, Lisa slumped in the armchair. The pain in her back forgotten, she stared at the muted television set in front of her. Colourful characters played out a pantomime she couldn’t interpret as her mind frantically grasped for memories of her sister.

She’d spoken to Callie every week until about six months ago. Then the calls had become more sporadic, but still they’d kept in touch. She’d been fine the last time they’d connected. When Lisa had called her at home in Sydney, Callie hadn’t mentioned anything about a trip to Bangladesh. Not that Lisa could recall. Although, with her sister always flitting off to somewhere or other, it was possible she’d simply forgotten.

Panic clawed at her chest. She shook her head as tears threatened. This couldn’t be happening. What if she never saw Callie again? No, thinking that way wouldn’t get her anywhere. She had to be pragmatic — book a ticket to Sydney, pack a bag, make sure to pick up a few things for the kids to help them settle in when they arrived. What gift would help a child forget for a few moments that her mother was missing in a foreign country?

With a groan, she lurched to her feet then, wide-eyed, sagged back into the chair when a spasm of pain radiated up her spine. It was no use. She still couldn’t do anything while she was in this much pain.

She dialled the bakery. “Hello, Trina. Something’s happened — I need you to come home.”

3

Twelve Years Ago

Bright lights danced on the surface of the bay. Circular Quay glittered under a million stars. Tourists milled about the ferry terminal, after a day on the water and exploring the city, gathering their things to head back to hotel rooms. A baby cried.

Lisa hurried past them all, striding as fast as she could manage on stiletto heels. The shoes had looked great in the mirror when she’d gotten dressed, but she hadn’t thought about the walk from the parking deck to the restaurant when she’d admired her reflection. Still, it wasn’t far.

Friday evening commuters pushed by on their way to the train station. She wound her way through them. By the time she’d left the harbour behind she was puffing and sweat pooled under her arms. She should’ve caught a cab — now she’d be hot, red-faced, and sweaty for her date.

She climbed a short hill, the footpath uneven beneath her which caused her to stumble, hands flying out to balance herself. With a decisive shake of the head, she stepped around the next pothole and found herself outside a quaint, colourful, Turkish restaurant.

With a glance over her shoulder, she took in the sweeping harbour, cloaked in darkness but reflecting the lights projected onto the Opera House from the ferry terminal and the many skyscrapers and restaurants that dotted the shoreline. It was a beautiful sight; one she’d never get used to seeing. It took her breath away every time.

But now, there was nothing for it but to face her blind date.

Ten years earlier, she’d never have considered going on a date with a man she’d never met. But she was thirty years old. She’d only ever had two semi-serious relationships, both of which had ended for different reasons. And suddenly, everyone she knew was married and having children. It’d happened so quickly she couldn’t quite recall how she’d gone from a loving, committed relationship and couple’s dates within her friendship circle, to nights alone in her small unit watching Gilmore Girls reruns. Meanwhile, those same friends spent sleepless nights feeding babies and mornings juggling Tupperware containers and catching projectile Tonka trucks at playgroup, crawling club, or music for tots classes.

When her best friend, Trina, suggested a blind date, she’d been hesitant. But, as Trina pointed out, how would she meet single men if she didn’t put herself out there? So, she was putting herself out on there this perfectly fine night, and her heart thudded against her ribcage as she climbed the steps into the restaurant and peered around as surreptitiously as she could manage, hoping he’d be there, while simultaneously hoping he wouldn’t so she could go home to put on her pyjamas and sit on the couch with a bowl of cereal for dinner.

Then she imagined what Trina would say if she backed out and drew in a deep breath.

She followed the seating hostess into the restaurant. The heady scents of curries, spices and incense filled the air and nerves crackled in the pit of her stomach. She hated this part — meeting someone for the first time, exchanging awkward small talk and wondering if they were looking over her shoulder at the doorway out of curiosity over the comings and goings, or to map out an escape plan.

He was seated in the furthest corner of the restaurant, at a small table for two. He stood when she approached and held out a hand, which she shook. He had kind eyes, a bulbous nose and patches of sweat beneath his armpits. His name was Allen and she’d wondered all the way here whether she should simply call him and cancel. But she was here now.

They made their introductions.

“So, Trina said you work in finance?” began Allen.

She swallowed. “Yes, I’m an accountant. Hoping to get a promotion soon though, so—”

“Fingers crossed,” he replied with a smile.

By the time their food arrived, Lisa relaxed into the conversation. Allen seemed warm and thoughtful. He’d asked her all about her work. Then, he’d moved onto questions about her family. She was in the middle of an anecdote about her mother’s tendency to over cater family events, when her phone rang. She set her fork down and tugged it from her handbag.

The phone number wasn’t one she recognised, and she almost muted it and put it away. But instead decided to answer it just in case it was important.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“Take your time,” replied Allen.

“Hello, this is Lisa.”

“Oh thank God. Lisa, you’ve got to get down here.”

Lisa’s brow furrowed. “Callie?”

Her sister groaned loudly, as though in pain. “Yes, it’s me! Who else would it be?”

Lisa bit down on her lower lip. It was just like Callie to be irritated with her when it wasn’t her fault — she didn’t recognise the number because it was new. She acted as though it was Lisa’s intention to annoy her sister by feigning ignorance.

“I’m sorry, I guess I don’t have your latest number in my phone.”

“That’s because it’s not my phone. Oh, for heaven’s sakes.” Another long groan and some huffing. Lisa stood to her feet and paced outside. It was too loud in the restaurant to hear clearly, but it sounded like her sister was in pain and she wasn’t making any sense.

“Callie, what’s going on? Are you injured? Do you need me to call you an ambulance?”

“No, I’m already at the hospital. Pay attention, Lisa. That’s what I’ve been telling you — I need you to come down here, right now.”

Lisa spun in a circle, trying to remember where her purse was, and the car…where had she parked the car? She had to get moving. She spun again, her head empty of anything useful.

“Okay, I’m coming. I’m coming. Uh…where are you exactly?”

“I’m at the Mater. I need you! Arrrrgh!”

The phone line went dead, and Lisa stood in front of the restaurant, staring at the mobile, dark in her hands, her eyes wide. The Mater was a maternity hospital. Why would her sister be at a maternity hospital?

With a quick intake of breath, she remembered her date and scurried back inside. She found Allen, still seated at their table, eating.

Guilt washed over her as he looked up at her with a smile. “Everything okay?”

She reached for her handbag. “I’m so sorry, Allen. I have to go. My sister seems to be in labour.”

“Oh wow, that’s exciting.” He patted his mouth with a napkin and stood.

“Please stay and finish your meal. I know this is incredibly rude, and I wouldn’t run out on you like this if it wasn’t an emergency.”

He nodded, his face growing red. “Of course, I understand.”

She said her goodbyes and rushed from the restaurant. Since the words, my sister is in labour, had left her mouth, her brain had done its best to absorb the revelation. Callie was in labour. It was the only explanation for the strange phone call. Only, it didn’t make any sense at all because her sister wasn’t pregnant. Well, as far as she knew her sister wasn’t pregnant. She hadn’t seen her in…she did the calculation in her head…it must’ve been about ten months since their family Christmas get together. So, it was possible Callie had hidden her entire pregnancy. But why? It wasn’t difficult to share the news, she didn’t even have to call. She could’ve sent an email or a text.

Guess what, Bear? I’m pregnant. Yay!

But no, she hadn’t sent an email, a text, a telegram, or a carrier pigeon — no indication whatsoever that anything in her life was amiss, anything new on the horizon. She’d simply vanished into her adventurous life as a roving reporter the way she always did after a catch-up and hardly checked in with Lisa all year. It was what Callie did; it was how she operated. She roamed the earth, living in flea-bitten hotels and chasing up leads, while Lisa sat in board rooms chewing on the ends of pencils and listening to the latest stats and figures on corporate budgeting.

They lived completely separate lives. She’d come to accept that. She’d also come to understand that her sister wasn’t the type to share every aspect of her life with Lisa, no matter how much she might want her to. But even if you weren’t the chatty type, pregnancy was the kind of thing you’d tell a sister. Wasn’t it?

She drove to the hospital in record time, found yet another parking deck and wound her way up to the umpteenth level to park. Finally, she made it into the hospital, and baulked at the number of levels and the wall of lifts to take her to any of them, if only she knew which one.

While she studied a map of the building on a sign by the door, she dialled her parents’ home number.

“Mum, it’s Lisa.”

“Oh, hi, honey. I’m sorry if we missed your calls earlier, but we went for a walk and forgot to take our mobiles with us.”

“It wasn’t me, Mum. Listen, Callie called me. She’s at the Mater hospital, and she wanted me to come down here. I’m trying to find her right now, but I have to ask you — what’s going on?”

Mum cleared her throat. “Oh yes, right. Well, she’s pregnant. But I suppose you guessed that much.”

“What?! You knew? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m sorry, honey. It wasn’t my place.” Lisa wanted to reach through the phone line and strangle her mother. She’d always taken this back-seat approach to their relationship, and it drove Lisa batty.