Page 45 of A Stable Daddy

I get a thrill at the reminder of last night’s conversation.Home. This is our home. Together. Oscar gives me a squeeze, as though he’s on the same page and thinking the same mushy thoughts.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re only here once every few weeks, right?” Mak asks, which prompts a conversation about Oscar’s roster, and then his job, and soon enough we’re all seated around the table eating Cynthia’s brownies for breakfast, paired with fresh coffees and lots of laughter.

The kids don’t bat an eye when I slip up and refer to Oscar as ‘Daddy’, and it’s the best morning I think I’ve ever shared with my new boyfriend.

I can see this becoming our new normal, and I love it.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Henry calls.

“It’s going to be fine,” Oscar assures me when I stare at the phone in a panicked daze.

“Lawyers don’t work Saturdays,” I reply, and Trev snorts from where he’s sprawled out on the couch reading a book on an app on his phone. How he can do that on such a small screen is beyond me.

“He knows I’m here,” he says without even looking over. “So I can help with any legal jargon or offer my thoughts if need be.”

Still paralysed in case it’s bad news, I let Oscar pry my phone from my hand and watch as he slides his thumb across the screen to answer the call.

“Hi Henry,” he greets cheerfully, “you’re on speaker and the whole gang is here.”

“Hello to the whole gang,” Henry sounds jovial, which is a good sign, right? “Trevor, you owe me a dinner at Dan Arnold.”

My eyes bulge.A hatted restaurant? Henry has expensive tastes.

“Fuck off,” Trev calls back, eyes still on his screen. “The Cowboys had that game in the bag. Fucking Titans rigged it or something.”

“Don’t be a sore loser, mate,” Henry chides, but he’s laughing. “I’d hate to see you in court if this is the way you put a case forward.”

Trev just raises his middle finger at the phone, which makes Oscar laugh. “You’re not on video, man.”

“Anyway,” I prompt, my anxiety too high to properly enjoy the banter in the moment, “is everything okay with my case? Is there a problem? Do I need to come back to Brisbane?”

“Everything’s fine,” Henry assures me. “That’s actually why I’m calling. I’ve been back and forth with the other guy’s lawyer all week, but he’s convinced his client to drop the case because they know they don’t actually have one.”

My knees go weak, and I drop into a chair at the dining table. “Really?” I croak.

“Really,” Henry confirms.

Tearing up, I thank him effusively. “You have no idea how relieved I am.”

“Oh, I think I have some idea,” his tone is warm, even through the phone’s tinny speaker. “But I told you the whole thing was bogus. It was just a waste of time and money on Old Mate’s part. A stalling tactic against whatever criminal charges are heading his way. We could all see it: even his lawyer.”

Mak and Oscar are sandwiching me between them, squeezing my shoulder and forearms while Trev sits up on the couch, paying attention now. “Theyaregoing to press charges?” he asks, all traces of his previous playfulness gone. He’s in lawyer mode, gaze shrewd and lips set in a firm line.

“I believe so,” Henry affirms. “Someone from the CIB will probably get in touch with you, Ryan, when they do. They’ll explain the process from there better than I can — I’m not really across criminal proceedings.”

“They’ll want to hear your statements again,” Trev says, looking between me and Oscar, “and they’ll let you know when there’s a court date and when you’ll be required to testify—”

I stiffen and shake my head emphatically, already protesting that I don’t want to sit in a court room reliving the assault.

“—which you might be able to give via video-link, seeing as you live out here now and have a business to run,” Trevor continues gently.

I relax a little. That doesn’t seem as daunting.

Trev looks at Oscar. “When they call, ask them to do a conference call and loop me in.”

“We’ll do that,” Oscar affirms.

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