Sydney's Song by Ia Uaro Page B

into my eyes. “I was worried for you, so I followed. Just to make sure you’re alright.”
    He searched my eyes and then pulled me into his arms. I was surprised at how soothing it felt. It felt— safe. It was true nobody had hugged me since my parents left, but still I didn’t remember feeling a hug this good. He was warm, strongly solid, and smelled wonderful.He was real.
    â€œWanna talk about it?” His nose nuzzled my hair.
    No words could come out of my mouth. I just wanted to be held.Forever. As if he understood he tightened his hold, tucking my head in his throat, his hand soothing my hair. Gingerly, I put my arms around his waist.
    â€œYou’re wonderful,” I admitted after a while.
    His hands lifted my face towards his.
    â€œDo you have my number?” he asked quietly. “I wrote it down in your little phonebook last night when our friends were writing theirs.Don’t hesitate to call me any time.”
    I nodded. He bent down and kissed the tip of my nose.
    Pete followed me home in the car he borrowed from his uncle. At my place he came out to meet me. Before we could say anything the landline rang, and I let him in while I went to answer the phone. It was Mum’s friend Kate. I listened to her as Pete flipped his own phone open, talking quietly away from me.
    â€œDarling, we’re all down on the South Coast. Come over to our holiday home in Broulee now. I didn’t realise you’ve been home alone.”
    â€œNow?” Get real. Why hadn’t she invited me earlier when I had no plans for the season? Because you-know-who just rang from Italy asking her to check on me? It hurt to be treated as an afterthought.
    But wonderful Kate was a mean cook. Really. Don’t laugh. This was very big to me. Her house always smelled of heavenly baking.Each time we visited when I was a little girl, I used to ask after hugs and greetings, “Can we eat now?” and received more hugs and kisses.
    In my very secret wish, since childhood I had always imagined my dream home. I had never bothered to visualise how it would look, but I knew it would smell like Kate’s heavenly baking.
    Thinking of her food, I forgave her for not knowing I had been home alone. That was how badly I’d missed home cooking.
    â€œLet me think…” I considered my schedule as I looked at Pete, who was now crouching down patting Dimity. Should I cram this in?“Kate, I’ll be having Your Say training for the next three days. If you still want me over, I could drive down after work on the last day.Have to return to take calls for New Year’s Eve, though. I’ve agreed to help out until midnight.”
    â€œMidnight? But 1300500 closes at ten!” Kate, who often used public transport, knew this. Only much later would 1300500 be open 24 hours.
    â€œSpecial occasion.”
    â€œBut darling, it means after five hours driving you’ll be with us for only—what? A day and two nights? I guess… that’s better than nothing… We’ll have a full day at least. What would you like me to cook?”
    Pete looked at me when I hung up.
    â€œYour Say training? Seriously? Why’d you be willing to take complaints when Sydney is notorious for late running trains, buses, and ferries? Sydney’s rail network is complicated. One problem train can cause a hopeless domino effect on many lines.” Probably sensing my reluctance to talk about my problems, he talked shop. “I was shopping in Chatswood before Christmas. I know what it’s like when the trains make passengers wait in the extreme heat of your summer.How on earth can they call it a minor delay when no trains show up for half an hour? Chatswood trains are supposed to be every 8minutes.”
    â€œI’ve been stranded with friends at Parramatta River, not only once, but twice,” I topped, swapping experience. “The Rivercat was cancelled.”
    â€œExactly! So