she kept the celebratory theme going with a picnic in the lounge-room. While the two children showered after swimming, Mattie laid out the Onkaparinga blanket across the carpet for them to sit around cross-legged for dinner. Crumbed chicken pieces, thick gravy, oven-fried chips and corn on the cob. They pretended they were outside, with flies landing on the food and the sun beating down so fiercely they had to shade their eyes. At one stage Mattie made out that she had swallowed a fly, gagging and clutching her throat and finally collapsing theatrically. Even Max laughed out loud.
Then, after the picnic was cleaned up, she brought out the Scrabble things and set them up on the coffee table. All three of them were dressed in winter flannelette pyjamas, with Mattie sitting on the couch, Courtney leaning against her motherâs legs and Max stretched out across the beanbag on the floor. And, with a skill born of long practice, Mattie managed to compartmentalise everything unpleasant. Like this afternoonâs altercation with Jake and, later, Hannahâs tight, disapproving face as she signed her sisterâs Centrelink forms. So both became just the faintest of sour tastes that didnât prevent her from creating a lovely evening â cosy and relaxed and compensatory.
âWell, Mummy? Dâyou think he is?â Courtney twisted herself around, tucking her still damp hair behind her ears as she regarded her mother quizzically.
âNo wayâ Mattie made herself smile. âIn fact, I wouldnât be surprised if heâs having a lovely time enjoying the peace and quiet. Itâll be like a little holiday.â
âYou think?â
âDefinitely.â Mattie glanced across at Max, who was rearranging his letters carefully. âDonât you agree, honey?â
âAbout what?â
âAbout your father. Donât you think heâll be enjoying the peace and quiet?â
âSâ pose.â
âHe
said
heâd miss us.â Courtney sounded unconvinced by her motherâs argument. âHe said the house was too big for just him.â
Max sat up in the beanbag, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them as he looked at the other two. âDad said the echoes would drive him nuts.â
âIf you didnât first,â added Courtney, glancing sidelong at her mother.
âMe?â Mattie stared from one child to the other, astounded. âHe actually said that? That I was driving him nuts?â
âYep.â Courtney regarded her mother attentively, watching for a reaction. âHe said youâre the reason his hairâs all falling out. And that you made him cross.â
âNo he didnât.â Max looked at his sister impatiently. âHe was onlyjoking about the hair. And he said she
was
his cross, not that she
made
him cross.â
âHis cross?â repeated Mattie, even more stunned. His
cross?
âLike Jesus,â explained Max, digging his fingernails into his knees and examining the crescent-shaped moons left behind in the flannelette of his pyjamas.
Courtney frowned. âI donât get it.â
âYou donât have to,â Mattie snapped and then, as both children looked at her with surprise, took a few deep breaths. She reached forward and wrapped an arm around Courtney, giving her a brief squeeze. âSorry, honey I didnât mean to take it out on you. Itâs just that . . . well, Iâm surprised Daddy said that. And a bit hurt. Because, see â years ago, back when you were both really little, we made an agreement that weâd never criticise each other in front of you guys. That weâd be a team. And if we had something to say weâd say it to each other.â
âSome team,â muttered Max as he stared down at his knees again.
âAnd Daddy says you donât listen anyway,â interjected Courtney, playing with her motherâs gold link
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