The Wildwood Sisters by Mandy Magro

legs and arms around him as he dug into his shirt pocket and pulled out a beautifully wrapped little box. ‘I got a little something for you. Hope you like it.’
    Annie grinned, showing her lack of front teeth as Ralph placed her back down and handed her the package. Annie tore it open with excitement, her eyes and mouth wide as she flicked open the box and spotted the gold necklace inside, a tiny cross hanging from it.
    â€˜Wow, this is so pretty. Thank you so much. I love it.’ She reached up on her tippy-toes, motioning to give Ralph a kiss.
    â€˜My pleasure, sweetheart.’ Ralph leant over and pecked her cheek.
    â€˜Do you want me to put it on you now?’ Dylan asked as Annie handed him the box.
    â€˜Yes please, Daddy. I want to go and show all my friends.’
    Kneeling down then clasping the necklace, making sure the cross was positioned properly, Dylan smiled from the inside out. Everyone who meant something in their lives had made an effort for Annie’s special day and it warmed his heart no end to see her so happy.
    Ralph placed his hand on Dylan’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. ‘I’m going to grab a beer, mate. You need a top up?’
    Dylan stood, watching Annie race back towards her friends. ‘Nah, I’m right for now. Still got half a glass of Coke left.’
    â€˜On the hard stuff, hey,’ Ralph said lightheartedly.
    â€˜As always,’ Dylan replied, grinning.
    â€˜Righto, I’ll say a quick g’day to Rex and Lorraine and then you can fill me in a bit more on this bloody fence debacle.’
    â€˜I don’t want to put my shit on you today, Ralph. I’ve complained enough and you need some chill time too.’
    â€˜You’re looking stressed, Dylan, like you might need to unload a bit, mate, so I’m all ears.’
    â€˜Yeah, tell me about it, between my money worries and now this, I feel like I’m going to drive myself around the bend.’
    Ralph grinned playfully. ‘Well, if that’s the case, I’ll drive around the bend with you…can’t be letting you do it alone.’
    Dylan chuckled. ‘Thanks, mate.’
    Ralph gave him a slap on the back. ‘That’s what mates are for.’
    Carrying an exhausted Annie in his arms, Dylan quietly padded into the cottage with a pirouetting Bossy at his feet. Grinning at his doggy mate, he let her in with him, closing the door softly behind them all. After a few quick licks to Dylan’s leg, Bossy took off towards the lounge room, clearly excited she was being upgraded to her doggy penthouse for the night—her ‘inside’ dog bed. Whirling round in circles, then chasing her tail for a few more spins, Bossy then thumped down on her bed in the cosy corner, her tongue lolling out to the side and her long legs sprawled out at angles other dogs would find impossible. Life was a ball of fun to her, each day an adventure to be had. Dylan chuckled at Bossy’s enthusiasm—the cottage wouldn’t have been the same without her.
    Silently, he crept off down the hallway. It was only just past five in the afternoon but Annie had crashed in the car on the way home, and he didn’t want to wake her. He was expecting her to sleep until tomorrow morning, given the full day she’d had at her birthday party. His mum had retired to her granny flat out the back too, the children having exhausted her. He had to admit, though, his two special girls—Claire and Annie—had been the happiest he’d seen them in months today, and it was wonderful to witness. Things might be tough financially, but after a nice weekend spent together, life was looking a little brighter. It was as though he’d been wandering through a dark tunnel and could now see a fraction of light at the end of it, still very far away, and very dim, but light all the same. It made him feel a little more optimistic for the future, his decision to go and see the