Page 16 of Love Is…?

Grace laughed, then the woman stopped short as she spotted Tessa and Jayde.

“Oh!” She pushed the box onto the marble counter, then tilted her head, and grinned. “Hi! I’m Cath.”

Cath stuck out her hand, clasping Tessa’s. She gave no further information about her connection with who, what or why in the household.

“Um…” Tessa pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m Tessa, Grace’s chaperone.”

Cath pointed emphatically. “Yes! Hi! Grace mentioned you.”

Tessa’s eyes rounded.

“Positively. Mentioned youpositively.”

Grace laughed again, then looked at Tessa. “Of course positively. You’re excellent.” She smiled, and Tessa’s heart warmed.

“I’m Jayde Ferguson. Not-awful journalist.”

Cath delivered another finger point, then shook Jayde’s hand. “Right. The not-awful journalist interviewing Abby.”

“That’s me.”

“Sam told me about the profile. Twenty interviews over a three-month period. And you’ve done, what? One? Are you moving in?”

Jayde laughed, and sat back on the stool. “I know it seems like a lot but immersion journalism needs…well, immersion, and I’m hoping for a book deal. Not this profile obviously, because it’sCulture’sbut I’ll interview other people, everyday people, while I’m here and hopefully turn the interviews into a book.Like theHumans of New Yorksort of thing, but in Melbourne with definitions of love from Melbournians.”

“That’s very cool,” Tessa breathed, and when Jayde turned, Tessa held eye contact with the intense brown-almost-black—still arresting—of Jayde’s eyes for an extra moment.

“Your articles are good,” Grace piped up.

Jayde spun back. “You’ve read my writing?”

Grace shrugged. “Of course. I had to find out who was turning up on random days to interrogate my mum.”

Cath chuckled, then pointed to the box. “Afternoon tea for later. From the bakery at the corner.” She placed her hands on her hips. “I would just like to state for the record that I rode in that lift with these scones and it was like being mugged by a carbohydrate.”

Tessa and Grace cracked up.

“There is evidence that baked goods keep ER departments operational,” Jayde added, deadpan, and Cath gave a bark of laughter.

“You, I like.” Cath leaned against the wall. “So, an essay on love, hey? Can be a risky topic for some people.”

“Sometimes. But I think Abby will steer me in the right direction.” Jayde grinned.

“Well, I think love is wonderful,” Tessa said, quietly, but loud enough so that everyone turned. “It is.” She nodded at Jayde. “There. That can be the first Love Is… in your book.”

A slow smile slid onto Jayde’s lips, and Tessa copied the movement, then lifted her smile into a smirk. It felt daring and seemed to have the desired effect because Jayde’s eyebrow lifted.

Cath cleared her throat, and darted her gaze between them.

“Right. So?—”

“Hang on. Doesn’t anyone want to hear from the disaffected youth?” Grace looked highly affronted.

All three adults raised their hands, and Grace nodded in satisfaction.

“That’s better. So.” She stared at Jayde. “Love is wanting to be together because choosing to be a single satellite means you’ll eventually travel out of the orbit of the person you’re meant to be with.”

There was silence.

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