Page 117 of A Wedding in Tuscany

‘Oops, now I’m in trouble with two Parsons women,’ he says to the rest of us. Mum tuts at him over the laughter, a surreptitious smile on the verge of breaking free. I sense that she’s dreading the goodbyes too and sometimes it’s easier to joke around than dwell on the sad things.

And poor Cat. I know I laughed along?as I said, sometimes it’s easier to joke?but she’s barely been married twenty-four hours and the ‘baby talk’ has already started. I’m not even sure she and Jean-Luc want kids. She’s mentioned it a few times, but in that abstract, hypothetical way. They’ve hardly started picking out baby names!

‘And Sarah …’ Oh, god, here we go. Please say something funny, Dad, I will him. ‘You’ve hit a major milestone this week, love …’ Something funny?please! ‘And your mum and I are very proud of the woman you are.’ Not funny, not funny. I really don’t want to cry. This will be the last time my immediate family is together for who knows how long and I may not be able to stop. I conjure the funniest memory I can think of under pressure?me waiting in a hotel room in Hawaii for Josh?naked on the bed?and in walks the bellboy then Josh. ‘And we’re so pleased about your plans to work at Tessa’s school.’ There’s the sheen of tears in his eyes as he smiles down at me. Nope. Caught naked by a bellboy isn’t even make a dent. ‘She’d be really proud of you too, love,’ he adds quietly.

Well, here they come! I blink back tears as I dig into my handbag for a tissue. ‘And one last thing?a big thanks to you, Jaelee. You’ve probably heard that quite a bit this week, but I know that all my girls?Karen included?couldn’t have put all this together without you. So, thank you, love.’ The focus off me?thank god?I look over at Jaelee who seems (uncharacteristically) humble, her cheeks flushing as she smiles shyly.

‘Right!’ says Dad, clapping his hands together. ‘No use hanging about like a shag on a rock. I reckon we’ll do the rounds and say our goodbyes, then let you young people carry on.’ He jumps spryly off the chair and the hubbub of conversation starts up again as he turns and hugs me. My tears are flowing freely now?shocker, I know.

‘Tessa really would be proud, love,’ he says, releasing me from the hug.

‘I know, Dad.’

‘And I’m really glad you figured out your one thing.’

‘My one thing?’

‘Yeah, you know, like in the movie, City Slickers.’ I look at him blankly. We watched it together as a family when Cat and I were kids but all I remember is the baby cow called Norman. ‘Don’t you remember?’ I shake my head. ‘Curly, the old cowboy, tells Billy Crystal that there’s only one thing in life that’s important?and that he has to figure out his one thing.’

‘Oh, right.’

‘I’m not explaining myself very well.’ This is where I get it from?my tendency to talk in circles and elicit confusion. Ironic, really, considering I’m an excellent teacher (if I do say so myself). But when it comes to explaining my emotions or my thoughts or philosophies … I often tie myself up in knots. Still, I do get where Dad is coming from.

‘You’ve explained it perfectly, Dad. I just needed to figure out what was missing and I did.’

‘And you did!’ He hugs me again.

‘Thanks for the nudge in the right direction,’ I say, my voice muffled by the hug.

‘Of course, love.’ He steps back. ‘So, we’ll see you back in Sydney.’

‘Yep.’

‘You two travel safely.’

‘Will do, Dad. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

He smiles, then turns towards Cat who already has tears in her eyes. God knows how hard this will be on her?at least I get to see Mum and Dad whenever I want.

‘Sarah.’ It’s Mum.

I reach down and grasp her hand and she smiles at me. ‘Looking forward to Venice?’ I ask. They’re heading there tomorrow for a week’s holiday, probably a welcomed change from the hustle and bustle of the past week. She nods, and her smile turns bittersweet. ‘Just hard to say goodbye, isn’t it?’

She blinks a few times. ‘I’m not as sentimental as your father, but yes. You know, when you girls moved to London all those years ago … that was very hard on me. It was on your father too, but I felt like part of my heart had been ripped out.’

‘Oh, Mum.’ I squeeze her arm as a tear escapes and she swipes it away.

‘Oh, I’m just being silly.’ She tosses her head and blinks a few times. ‘Anyway, I love that you’re close by and most of the time, the pain of missing Catherine, it’s down here.’ She places a hand flat on her lower chest. Well, I definitely understand that?I use the same coping mechanism. ‘And spending time with her here in Italy … well, it’s been wonderful but it’s brought all that to the surface and …’ She swallows.

‘Mum, have you told Cat any of this?’

She shakes her head. ‘I don’t trust myself. I’ll probably end up a blubbering mess.’

‘That’s okay, Mum. No one here is going to think any less of you. You should tell her.’

She sniffles. ‘I suppose you’re right.’ She eyes me curiously. ‘And when did you get to be so wise, Sarah?’

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