Page 90 of Cut up
“Incredible.” Camille smiles, then offers, “can I help with anything?”
“No, you’re the guest tonight.” Nicole says.
“We got it covered.” Mum adds, then looks at me. “Your brother’s here, can you give him a hand plating the meat please Lucas?” She starts to hand me the empty dishes for the meat.
“Sure, no worries Mum.” I take the plates off her to head outside. “You good?” I ask Camille before I leave.
She smiles peacefully. “I’m great.”
When I head out onto the back patio, I see Patrick standing next to the smoker and the fire pit. Sally and Henry—the Border Collies—linger around him happily.
I give him a wave when he sees me. He lifts his hand that’s holding a can of coke. Patrick hasn’t had a drink of alcohol since everything happened and whenever I’m around him, I won’t drink either.
“How’s it going brother? Mum wanted us to start plating up the meat.” I put the dishes down on the table next to the smoker.
“No worries. And yeah mate, it’s been alright.” He nods and takes a sip of his drink. “Want one?”
“Sure.” I bend down and give both dogs a pat.
He grabs a can from the esky under the table and hands it to me. I crack itopen and take a long drink.
We work in comfortable silence, plating the meat as the last rays of sun stretch across the paddocks.
Rick—Patrick—he’s always been the quiet one. Steady. Dependable. He became more private since he lost his family. I could see how much it changed him, understandably. And I know better than to push for conversation when he’s not offering it.
So I just stand beside him, letting the silence stretch, feeling strangely at peace.
I am home. Camille is here. The sky is glowing. And everything feels exactly as it should in my life.
46
Found family
The kitchen smells like rosemary and garlic and something sweet baking in the oven.
Nicole is slicing something on the wooden chopping board, and Jill stands beside her, mixing sauce in a ceramic bowl that looks older than both of us.
“This was my mum’s,” Jill says, catching me eyeing it. She smiles as she stirs. “Still works better than half the fancy ones you get now. Heavy as sin, though.”
“I love it,” I say, and I mean it. There’s something about being in herewith them—like I’ve stepped into the heart of someone else’s memory and been allowed to stay.
“You any good in the kitchen?” Nicole teases, nudging my arm with her elbow.
“I actually love to cook.” I admit, grinning. “My Mum taught me everything she knew.”
Jill laughs. “I love that. I couldn’t convince Lucas to care about cooking growing up. He once tried to make scrambled eggs and lit them on fire”
“He what?” I laugh, wide-eyed.
Nicole snorts. “He panicked and threw it in the sink, turned on the tap. The fire went out. Along with all the pipes. Dad had to replace the whole thing.”
“I’m never letting him live that down.” I laugh, then go a little more serious. “To be fair, he cooks amazing eggs now. You’ve really raised a great man Jill,” I say, my eyes shining.
Jill gives me a long, soft look, then reaches out and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear like she’s done it a thousand times. “Thank you Camille.” She smiles even wider. “I’m so glad you came.”
Something catches in my throat. I look away, trying not to blink too fast. She reminds me so much of my Mum, of how things could be with her if she were still here.
“Me too. I lost my Mum when I was young, so it’s nice being here. Feeling a part of a family like this.” I say quietly, unsure why it comes out now, but it does. “My Mum loved cooking too. Her aprons always smelled like vanilla.” I smile.
