Williams got from the female staff, both
young and old. She had time for a small pang of jealousy before reminding
herself she was off the dating roster for her own good. Jealousy that now make
her regret the decision to stop dating but with the horrors from her past,
Lizzie wasn't prepared to put her heart on the line again.
Chapter Thirteen
Rooney drove her trusty
station wagon up the driveway to her childhood home, past the large dam she had
swum in as a child, past the weeping willows where she and the boys had built
countless tree houses and forts.
"You'll like it
here, Tam." She smiled reassuringly at her daughter who gazed out the
window with a frown on her young face.
"I wish we could
have stayed with Pete and Julie." Rooney heard the sigh in her voice.
"I don't know anyone here."
She reached out and grabbed
her daughter’s hand, squeezing her fingers. "You know it will take you all
of five minutes to find people to talk to. Once you’re enrolled in school,
you’ll find your feet. I know you will."
Tam turned and looked
out the window again, saying nothing more.
Rooney drove up the
back, past the old Morton Bay figs and around by the old stables. Chickens
scattered as she past the kitchen garden and pulled up at the back of the
house. She unclipped her seatbelt, turned off the engine and got out of the car.
"Let's go."
Walking around to open
the passenger door, she helped Tamara slip out of her seatbelt and took her
hand as she got out. As the door screen slammed and Essie cried out, Tamara
tucked into Rooney's side.
Essie ran toward them,
her arms outstretched. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged Rooney.
"Hey Essie, you knew I was coming back. Shush, it's alright."
"I was so worried
you would change your mind when you got back to the city." She looked down
at Tamara hugging her mother's side. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I didn't
mean to scare you with my carrying on." She crouched down and held her
hand out. "I'm Essie. I looked after your mother when she was a little
thing just like you."
"I'm not little.
And I don't need looking after."
"Well, that's good
to hear then because I know there is heaps I need to do around here. Not sure I
have time to go running around after a little girl when I should be baking
chocolate chip biscuits and roasting chicken for tonight's dinner."
Tamara looked at the housekeeper
before glancing up at her mother, a question in her eyes. "You can ask,
but mind your manners." Rooney twisted her lips to keep the smile tucked
away as Tam eyed off Essie. When the grip on her leg eased, she breathed a sigh
of relief.
"Can I have a
biscuit, please?"
"How about I give
you one after you help your mother with your bags, Tamara?" Essie
straightened and pressed her hands down her apron, smoothing out the creases as
she waited for an answer.
"Tam, I get called
Tam."
"Fine, Tam it is.
Let me go ahead and get you a drink and a biscuit then while you grab a bag.
Your mother can show you to your room and when you’re ready, come on down to
the kitchen."
"Thanks,
Essie."
"I've put you in
your mother’s room, Rooney. Tam can have yours."
Rooney swallowed the
lump filling her throat. Blinking rapidly, she brushed away the tears that
threatened to run down her cheeks. "Fine." She walked to the back of
her car and lifted the boot lid. She handed a small suitcase to Tam and grabbed
her own, deciding to leave the boxes until later. With more gusto than
warranted, she slammed the boot before guiding her daughter inside.
They walked through the
kitchen, ignoring the heavenly smells of roasting chicken and fresh baked
cookies. Rooney pulled her suitcase up the stairs, pausing every now and then
to wait for Tam who followed behind her. When they reached her old bedroom she
stopped, resting her suitcase against the wall. She stepped into the room and
looked around. Her bed was against the wall under the window, just as it had
been when she’d walked away with
young and old. She had time for a small pang of jealousy before reminding
herself she was off the dating roster for her own good. Jealousy that now make
her regret the decision to stop dating but with the horrors from her past,
Lizzie wasn't prepared to put her heart on the line again.
Chapter Thirteen
Rooney drove her trusty
station wagon up the driveway to her childhood home, past the large dam she had
swum in as a child, past the weeping willows where she and the boys had built
countless tree houses and forts.
"You'll like it
here, Tam." She smiled reassuringly at her daughter who gazed out the
window with a frown on her young face.
"I wish we could
have stayed with Pete and Julie." Rooney heard the sigh in her voice.
"I don't know anyone here."
She reached out and grabbed
her daughter’s hand, squeezing her fingers. "You know it will take you all
of five minutes to find people to talk to. Once you’re enrolled in school,
you’ll find your feet. I know you will."
Tam turned and looked
out the window again, saying nothing more.
Rooney drove up the
back, past the old Morton Bay figs and around by the old stables. Chickens
scattered as she past the kitchen garden and pulled up at the back of the
house. She unclipped her seatbelt, turned off the engine and got out of the car.
"Let's go."
Walking around to open
the passenger door, she helped Tamara slip out of her seatbelt and took her
hand as she got out. As the door screen slammed and Essie cried out, Tamara
tucked into Rooney's side.
Essie ran toward them,
her arms outstretched. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged Rooney.
"Hey Essie, you knew I was coming back. Shush, it's alright."
"I was so worried
you would change your mind when you got back to the city." She looked down
at Tamara hugging her mother's side. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I didn't
mean to scare you with my carrying on." She crouched down and held her
hand out. "I'm Essie. I looked after your mother when she was a little
thing just like you."
"I'm not little.
And I don't need looking after."
"Well, that's good
to hear then because I know there is heaps I need to do around here. Not sure I
have time to go running around after a little girl when I should be baking
chocolate chip biscuits and roasting chicken for tonight's dinner."
Tamara looked at the housekeeper
before glancing up at her mother, a question in her eyes. "You can ask,
but mind your manners." Rooney twisted her lips to keep the smile tucked
away as Tam eyed off Essie. When the grip on her leg eased, she breathed a sigh
of relief.
"Can I have a
biscuit, please?"
"How about I give
you one after you help your mother with your bags, Tamara?" Essie
straightened and pressed her hands down her apron, smoothing out the creases as
she waited for an answer.
"Tam, I get called
Tam."
"Fine, Tam it is.
Let me go ahead and get you a drink and a biscuit then while you grab a bag.
Your mother can show you to your room and when you’re ready, come on down to
the kitchen."
"Thanks,
Essie."
"I've put you in
your mother’s room, Rooney. Tam can have yours."
Rooney swallowed the
lump filling her throat. Blinking rapidly, she brushed away the tears that
threatened to run down her cheeks. "Fine." She walked to the back of
her car and lifted the boot lid. She handed a small suitcase to Tam and grabbed
her own, deciding to leave the boxes until later. With more gusto than
warranted, she slammed the boot before guiding her daughter inside.
They walked through the
kitchen, ignoring the heavenly smells of roasting chicken and fresh baked
cookies. Rooney pulled her suitcase up the stairs, pausing every now and then
to wait for Tam who followed behind her. When they reached her old bedroom she
stopped, resting her suitcase against the wall. She stepped into the room and
looked around. Her bed was against the wall under the window, just as it had
been when she’d walked away with
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