Unsuitable (39 page)

“Because
we need to run this company by appropriately resourcing the best talent there
is. If the best talent happens to be a single mum then we need give her the
right support to do her job.”

“I’m
pregnant.” Blurting it out was becoming a habit.

“Oh.”
He sat back, frowning again. “Congratulations.”

She
beamed. It was the first time anyone had said that and it fanned the flame of
joy inside her, despite the bittersweet lick of it.

“That
simply means we need to think more laterally about how we do this.”

“Are
you saying you’re still considering me for the role? I’ll need leave.”

“That
makes it tricky, but it’s a five year partnership, team needs will change over
time. We can work it out.”

“Chris,
it’s likely I’m having twins.”

He
rocketed forward, his knee colliding with the coffee table. “Holy shit.” He
straightened the magazine stack he’d upset. “I beg your pardon. I mean how
exciting.”

She
laughed. “No, you were right the first time.”

“Audrey,
that’s amazing.”

“My
timing is appalling. This is unexpected. I’m so sorry to let you down.”

“You’re
not resigning are you?”

“No,
but if it’s twins, it’s going to be difficult physically and—” She cut herself
off, she didn’t know what came after and.

“If
you’re game I am.”

Her
turn to sit forward. “What are you saying?”

“Before
you got sick you reamed me out for discriminating against you.” She felt her
face colour. “You were right. I’ve been working with HR to overhaul our approach
to talent management. I would’ve kept on doing things the old way had you not
stuck your voodoo pins in me. I need you, Audrey, whether you have one kid or
ten, and I want you to work with us to ensure we get to keep you whatever it
takes.”

“You’re
serious.”

“Does
that mean you’ll say yes?” He tapped a package on the table. It would be the project
briefing.

“I
might need to be on bed rest.”

He
shrugged. “So you need to be on bed rest. We’ll work out how to manage when you
can’t be at work and how to support you best when you can. I want this to happen.
My sciatica can’t take the rusty pins any longer and the shareholders have no
tolerance for second best.”

Audrey
had no recollection of getting to her office. But she had a coffee mug in her
hand so she’d detoured by the kitchen. She floated through the rest of the day,
tired, elated, amazed.

When
the lab called to offer her a cancellation appointment for her ultrasound she
took it. She took a slight early mark too, going home from there instead of
back to the office. Heck, it was Friday and she had a lot to think about, and she
was too distracted to do any work anyway.

She
also had a houseful of unexpected guests.

Cameron
met her in the hallway and gave her an amused shrug. “We have visitors.”

All
four of Reece’s sisters. The twins were in the lounge room playing with Mia. Audrey
watched them a moment. Both blonde and blue eyed but otherwise they were different,
Gin was waif-like, delicate, and Neev was robust and sporty. Would her twins be
like that, alike but distinct individuals? She could hardly bear the wait to
find out.

Etta
and Flip were in the kitchen, she could hear their voices.

“They
wanted to wait for you,” said Cameron. “Apparently it’s important. I’m not sure
if we should be afraid.”

Audrey
was instantly chilled. She moved through to the kitchen and focused on Etta.
“Is everything okay with Reece?”

Flip
answered. “Oh, yeah. He’ll be back tomorrow.” Her nonchalance almost made
Audrey giggle. She sat down hard at the kitchen table and ditched her shoes.

“I’ll,
ah,” Cameron pointed over her shoulder. She stepped out of the room backwards.

It
occurred to Audrey they’d come to ask about babysitting. Cameron had given them
fruit to eat. She didn’t suppose they drank tea. “Can I get you girls anything?”

“We
only need a few minutes,” said Etta. “Sorry for bouncing on you like this.”

“It’s
important,” said Flip.

“I’ll
just say it then,” said Etta. She was nervous where Flip was oblivious. If this
wasn’t about sitting for Mia, she had no idea where this was going. “We think you
should get back with Reece.”

“Get
back?”

“Together
you know. Hook up,” said Flip.

Etta
turned on her. “Not hook up. That’s only temporary. I said let me talk.”

Flip
was undaunted. “This was my idea.”

From
the doorway Neeva said, “He’s our brother too.”

That
flame inside Audrey flared and flickered and burned brighter, hotter. This was
Reece’s family come to claim her, even as they were deeply unimpressed with
her.

“Why
did you break up with him?” said Gin. She stepped around Neeva to come into the
room.

“It
wasn’t my best decision.”

“That’s
not a reason,” said Gin. They were standing and she was surrounded by their
indignation and their love for Reece.

She
owed them honesty. “I was scared.”

Gin
pulled out a kitchen chair and sat. “That’s what Reece said. You had a bad
family life and you didn’t trust him.”

That
was either a gross simplification or the key that fit. “I—”

“Did
he get it wrong?” said Neeva. She stayed by the door. She was the angriest. Did
it mean she loved Reece most?

Audrey
shook her head. “No.”

“We
came to tell you why you can trust him,” Neeva said.

“I
see.” She barely got those words out. She’d faced easier negotiations with
suppliers who had billions of dollars riding on an outcome.

“We
don’t really remember our dad,” said Etta.

“I
never met him how could I remember,” said Flip.

Etta
shoved her. “Shut it.”

Gin
took it up. “Reece was our dad at the same time as he was our brother.”

“He’s
a really good brother.” Flip took a step away from Etta. “Don’t look at me like
that—he is.”

Etta
turned from Flip to look at Audrey again. “What we’re saying is he knows how to
be responsible and he knows about doing parent things.”

“He
taught me how to manage my asthma,” said Gin.

“He
taught me how to deal with bullies,” said Neeva.

Audrey
was overwhelmed by them, their passion and their care. “Oh please, stop.”

“He
never tells lies about stuff. Even if it makes him uncomfortable, like sluts
and wet dreams,” said Flip. She glared at Etta, Neeva and Gin in turn. “Everyone
else lies to me.”

“You
don’t need to say anymore.” It was enough and it was working a hole in her
senses and filling it with a mixture of regret for time lost and hope for a
life to be gained.

“He’s
sorry about what he was like when he was fighting, you know the illegal stuff,
but if he hadn’t known how to do that, you might’ve been hurt,” said Etta.

“Please
girls, no more.”

Neeva
fair stomped to the table, pulled out the chair directly opposite Audrey and
sat. “It was pretty evil what you did to him. He looks dead tough, you know
like nothing could smash him, but he’s got a sloppy heart, so like, if you’re figuring
on hurting him again it would be better if you made a different plan. And he
doesn’t know we’re here.”

“He’d
die,” said Gin.

“We
won’t be telling him,” Neeva finished.

Audrey
didn’t see Mia; she felt her tug on her jacket sleeve. She couldn’t take her
eyes off Neeva.

“Why
is everyone mad, Mum?”

“No
one is mad, Mia.”

Neeva
was magnificent. Gin was a sweetheart. Flip was fun and Etta was like Audrey
remembered being at sixteen, half cross at the word and half ready to take it
on. She pulled Mia on to her lap. How long till it was too difficult to do that,
till she had no lap to offer? She thought about what Reece might say.

“No
one is mad, Mia. But everyone is upset because I made Reece go away.”

Mia
patted her face. “Yes, you did. That was bad.”

“And
you want him to come back, don’t you?”

Pat,
pat. “Yes, I do.”

“I
need to tell him how sorry I am for being scared.” And that by itself was a
frightening proposition.

“Monsters
aren’t real, Mum. Reece made them all go away.”

The
only monsters were in Audrey’s head and in the actions she took when she sent
Reece away.

“Maybe
Reece won’t want you back,” said Etta. “He’s a hunk, you know. He’s got
options. He doesn’t exactly need you.”

Audrey
met Etta’s eyes, via Neeva’s, Gin’s and Flip’s. “I’ll have to try hard to
convince him that Mia and I love him as much as you do.”

“Please
try hard, Audrey,” said Gin.

“Try
hard, Mum.”

Leaning
on the doorjamb, Cameron nodded. “If I have to lose my job, I’m okay if it’s to
Reece. Someone deserves a happy ending.”

The
part about not crying anymore was getting harder and harder to stick with. Audrey
didn’t know what to do with the swell of emotion sloshing around inside her. She
hugged Mia and tried to hold it together while the seven of them made a plan. All
that was left was for Reece to come back and Audrey to convince him to come
home to her.

Building
highways in China would be easier.

If
she played it right, this was the last plan she was going to make without Reece
in her life.

It
started with a phone call the next day. She thought about the last call she’d
made to him, how she’d cut the conversation short when his anger bled down the
connection and how she’d pretended it was better that way. She dialled and the
call answered.

“Hello.”

A
woman’s voice. Not one of the girls. His mum? Her pulse leapt. This could all
be too late. “I’m looking for Reece.” She had the right number it was plugged
into her phone’s directory.

“This
is Sky. Reece left his phone at my place.”

Oh.
God.
“Sky.”

“Who
is this?”

“My
name is Audrey. I was—”

“I
know who you are.”

Audrey
held the phone away from her ear a moment. No matter if Reece was on again with
Sky, she needed to talk to him. “Do you know where he was going?”

“I
do, but it’s none of your business.”

“Are
you guys back together?” She hadn’t meant to say that. She could very well be
Etta making this call.

“That’s
certainly none of your business.”

Etta
might know what to do next. “It’s not. I’m sorry to bother you. But I need to
talk to him.”

There
was silence, then a groan. “You did a number on him. Whatever you’ve got to say
better include words to make him lose the great heaving sad attack he’s
carrying around.”

“I’ll
try.”

“We’re
not together, though I can’t believe I told you that. He’s just changed a
washer for me and gone home to his mother’s.”

“Thank
you.”

Sky
said, “Don’t make me regret helping you,” and hung up.

She
couldn’t call him. She had to go to him. She wasn’t waiting any longer. She
bundled Mia up and drove to the address Reece had given her as his next of kin
contact. It was an old well-kept weatherboard house in a good neighbourhood. It
had a wide verandah and the front door was open. His car was out the front. She
was thirsty and dizzy and nervous and tired and adrenaline buzzed in her limbs.

“Don’t
be scared, Mum.”

It
was Mia holding Audrey’s hand when they went through the gate and up to the
door.

Audrey
knocked. A voice shouted, “We don’t believe in God. We’re going to burn in
hell. Don’t bother with the pamphlet, and no, we don’t want cheaper gas.”

That
had to be Neeva. Then Flip was in the hallway. “She’s here. Audrey’s here.”

She
and Mia were surrounded, and Audrey was face to face with Reece’s mother. She
held her hand out. “I’m Audrey Bates.” Reece’s mum shook her hand, briskly,
catch and release. Audrey passed her hand over Mia’s head. “This is Mia.”

Reece’s
mum smiled, but the girls were watching her and Audrey knew the smile had a
certain meaning, she couldn’t be sure how much poison was in it.

“Charlotte
McGovern. Charlie. You’ve met the girls. What can I do for you?”

There
it was, not poison but a virtual shotgun. Audrey needed to state her business
and it had better meet Charlie’s approval or she’d be invited politely to
leave.

She
wasn’t leaving without seeing him. “I’ve come to see Reece. No, that’s not
right. I’ve come to get him. I’m in love with your son and I was a fool and
didn’t understand how important that was, how important he was. But I’ve got it
straight now, and I want to ask for another chance.” Brave words, but it was
more complicated than that.