Page 34 of Tough Love

Evan gestures to the house with his chin. “Talk to your parents, Mimi. Clear the air.” He holds my gaze as I stand awkwardly on the kerb, and I find something in the crisp blue of his eyes.

An urge? A need to do or say more? Restraint?

Whatever it is, I want to climb inside his mind and explore its darkest corners, learn all about what changed him and why I—the girl he left behind so easily—caused that reaction in him.

“Thank you again,” I say quietly, taking a step backward. “You’ve really helped. It means a lot, especially after … you know.”

“What happened between us?” he queries.

“Yeah.” I fidget with the hem of my top. “After that.”

“Just doing my job, Amelia.”

I huff out my nose and smirk. “No you’re not.” He didn’t have to come here with Kath’s things, and he most certainlydidn’thave to cook us all dinner Friday night. “You’ve been a friend.”

“A friend.” He frowns, rolling the word around on his tongue.

“Anyway,” I say, a little too bubbly, eager to break the rising tension in the air. “I’ll let you get back to work, huh,OfficerNorth?”

“Keep in touch, Amelia,” he says in those low, raspy tones I’ve always loved. “Let me know how you both are, okay?”

“Sure.” My smile fades as I watch him open the door to his car. “I’ll keep you posted.”

I mean, he’s just doing his job, right?

Hardly.

ELEVEN

Briar’s little head pops out the neck of his hooded sweatshirt as he wrestles his arms through the sleeves. I help him get untangled, and then line up his gumboots for him. Rain started as soon as Evan left, gentle sheets of drizzle that blew in on the strengthening wind, and continued until a few minutes ago when the clouds parted and the sun created one of the most beautiful rainbows I’ve seen in years.

“We’ll go for a walk down to the park on the corner, eh?” Dad says to Briar while zipping up his jacket.

He offered to take the kid out of the house for a while so Mum and I could hash out the details of the funeral without little ears overhearing. Small, thoughtful gestures like that remind me why I love my dad so much. He’s always been naturally selfless, doing things to help others without having to stop and think about it.

“Have you got a hat?” I ask Briar, remembering something Mum said to us as kids about losing all your heat through your head.

He nods. “Yeah.”

“Could you go get it before we put your gummies on?”

He dashes up the stairs under Dad’s watchful eye.

“How long would you like?”

I shrug as Mum joins us in the entryway. “What do you think?”

“About what?” she asks.

“How long do you think we’ll need?”

She sighs, rubbing a hand over her bicep. “An hour? That should be enough to at least get most of it sorted.”

Dad nods, collecting his wallet from the front table. “We might go a bit further to the corner shop, then.”

“I’m ready!” Briar hollers as he hops down the stairs as quickly as his legs will let him.

I help him slip his socked feet into the gumboots, making sure his pant legs are tucked in properly, and give him a ruffle on the head. He corrects his knitted hat and grins, ready to create havoc in the fresh puddles.

---