the railing, his eyes narrowed. ‘What?’
‘You hold your pencil in your mouth like a horse’s bit. Dad used to do that.’
Ethan rubbed his lips. Again and again. When his hand didn’t seem to do the job he used his sleeve.
‘I’m glad I saw that fight,’ Ethan said finally, nodding at the kids. ‘It was an important moment. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work.’ He moved to leave, then hesitated. His brown eyes found Dean’s and searched them. ‘You’re nothing like Dad, you know.’
He left.
Standing alone on the verandah, Dean wondered why Ethan had said that like it was a good thing.
‘Wrap up what you’re doing. We’re going out.’ Dean picked up the remote and switched the TV off.
Mouth full of chips, Ethan dropped his feet from the coffee table and sat up. ‘Hey!’
‘We’re going to see Cal.’
‘He’s just been here!’
‘Has he? It’s Friday. I haven’t seen him in over a week. Have you?’
Ethan considered this, then shook his head. ‘Actually, no, come to think of it. Sammy did say he’s been acting odd.’
‘The very woman who’ll be knocking on our door in a few minutes. She’s finished work and she’s watching the kids. Up. Get dressed.’
‘I am dressed!’
‘Get better dressed.’
Ethan scowled, but slumped upstairs to change. Dean carried the chip packet into the kitchen and binned it. He took two cans of soft drink from the fridge for the road. Cal only lived on the other side of town, but Ethan would need something to chase away the salt, and Dean had a bad taste in his mouth that he wanted to drown.
He heard the front door open and wandered down the hallway to greet Sam. Catching sight of her framed in the doorway, her hair secured in a loose knot, he realised that it had been some time since he’d seen her too. As Ethan bounded downstairs, caution crept into her eyes, and Dean thought he could guess why.
Ethan faltered. He pushed his hands through his hair and rubbed his upper arm. ‘Hey.’
‘Hi, Ethan.’
‘How’ve you been?’
‘Fine.’
It was awkward, stilted, and Dean felt obliged to save them both. He clapped his hands sharply as he approached. ‘Sam. You’re my hero. Thanks for coming through for me.’
Her eyes brightened. ‘Of course. Find out what’s wrong with my idiot brother and we’re square.’
Dean passed Ethan one of the cans of soft drink. ‘ My idiot brother and I intended to do just that. Here. Let’s go.’
He pushed Ethan out the door and kissed Sam on the cheek.
Cal didn’t answer the door so Dean climbed through a window. When a few minutes had elapsed, Ethan realised Dean wasn’t going to let him in the easy way. So he scrambled through the window too, struggling to manoeuvre his long legs and arms through the tight space.
Cal and Dean were sitting in the living room. Ethan gave Dean a dirty look then dropped onto the couch.
‘No doorman here, buddy,’ Dean said to Ethan.
‘Where do you think I live, Manhattan?’
‘I can only guess.’
‘Lithgow.’
‘Well, there you have it. My brother lives in Lithgow.’
Cal swore at the both of them.
Ethan blinked. ‘Nice to see you, too. What’s with the house? It looks like you’ve been robbed.’
‘Anna left.’
The crowd on the television roared and cheered. A football player pumped the air with his fist before his teammates surrounded him. The commentator’s voice pitched with excitement.
‘I’m sorry,’ Dean said. He didn’t ask when; Ethan could see he’d already guessed that. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘You’ve got your own stuff going on.’
‘Not so much that I don’t have time for you. She say why?’
‘Said I wasn’t enough.’
Caleb looked like a man overcome. Dark shadows circled his eyes, making him look bruised and drawn. His hair was flat on one side, tousled on the other. It looked like he hadn’t shaved since the bonfire. Empty beer bottles littered the coffee table. A blanket was crumpled on the floor
‘You hold your pencil in your mouth like a horse’s bit. Dad used to do that.’
Ethan rubbed his lips. Again and again. When his hand didn’t seem to do the job he used his sleeve.
‘I’m glad I saw that fight,’ Ethan said finally, nodding at the kids. ‘It was an important moment. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work.’ He moved to leave, then hesitated. His brown eyes found Dean’s and searched them. ‘You’re nothing like Dad, you know.’
He left.
Standing alone on the verandah, Dean wondered why Ethan had said that like it was a good thing.
‘Wrap up what you’re doing. We’re going out.’ Dean picked up the remote and switched the TV off.
Mouth full of chips, Ethan dropped his feet from the coffee table and sat up. ‘Hey!’
‘We’re going to see Cal.’
‘He’s just been here!’
‘Has he? It’s Friday. I haven’t seen him in over a week. Have you?’
Ethan considered this, then shook his head. ‘Actually, no, come to think of it. Sammy did say he’s been acting odd.’
‘The very woman who’ll be knocking on our door in a few minutes. She’s finished work and she’s watching the kids. Up. Get dressed.’
‘I am dressed!’
‘Get better dressed.’
Ethan scowled, but slumped upstairs to change. Dean carried the chip packet into the kitchen and binned it. He took two cans of soft drink from the fridge for the road. Cal only lived on the other side of town, but Ethan would need something to chase away the salt, and Dean had a bad taste in his mouth that he wanted to drown.
He heard the front door open and wandered down the hallway to greet Sam. Catching sight of her framed in the doorway, her hair secured in a loose knot, he realised that it had been some time since he’d seen her too. As Ethan bounded downstairs, caution crept into her eyes, and Dean thought he could guess why.
Ethan faltered. He pushed his hands through his hair and rubbed his upper arm. ‘Hey.’
‘Hi, Ethan.’
‘How’ve you been?’
‘Fine.’
It was awkward, stilted, and Dean felt obliged to save them both. He clapped his hands sharply as he approached. ‘Sam. You’re my hero. Thanks for coming through for me.’
Her eyes brightened. ‘Of course. Find out what’s wrong with my idiot brother and we’re square.’
Dean passed Ethan one of the cans of soft drink. ‘ My idiot brother and I intended to do just that. Here. Let’s go.’
He pushed Ethan out the door and kissed Sam on the cheek.
Cal didn’t answer the door so Dean climbed through a window. When a few minutes had elapsed, Ethan realised Dean wasn’t going to let him in the easy way. So he scrambled through the window too, struggling to manoeuvre his long legs and arms through the tight space.
Cal and Dean were sitting in the living room. Ethan gave Dean a dirty look then dropped onto the couch.
‘No doorman here, buddy,’ Dean said to Ethan.
‘Where do you think I live, Manhattan?’
‘I can only guess.’
‘Lithgow.’
‘Well, there you have it. My brother lives in Lithgow.’
Cal swore at the both of them.
Ethan blinked. ‘Nice to see you, too. What’s with the house? It looks like you’ve been robbed.’
‘Anna left.’
The crowd on the television roared and cheered. A football player pumped the air with his fist before his teammates surrounded him. The commentator’s voice pitched with excitement.
‘I’m sorry,’ Dean said. He didn’t ask when; Ethan could see he’d already guessed that. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘You’ve got your own stuff going on.’
‘Not so much that I don’t have time for you. She say why?’
‘Said I wasn’t enough.’
Caleb looked like a man overcome. Dark shadows circled his eyes, making him look bruised and drawn. His hair was flat on one side, tousled on the other. It looked like he hadn’t shaved since the bonfire. Empty beer bottles littered the coffee table. A blanket was crumpled on the floor
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