Autumn at Blaxland Falls by Eliza Bennetts

Author:Eliza Bennetts [Bennetts, Eliza]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

22

‘It’s the dead of bloody night,’ Florin said when she finally opened the door.

‘It’s eight-thirty, Mum.’

Florin screwed up her face as she swung the door wide. ‘It’s late enough. Too late to be gallivanting around town if you ask me.’

‘I wasn’t gallivanting, Mum. I went out to dinner with Blake.’

Jo followed Florin into the lounge room and sat on one of the gaudy, brown sofas as her mother poured the cherry wine.

‘Dinner with Blake, eh? Go well?’

Jo wondered if this was the time to tell her mum the truth about Blake and the details of what happened that night. Florin handed her the wine, and as Jo sipped, she contemplated reliving it all again. Twice in one night was too much. She’d tell Florin some other time.

Besides, telling her mother about the violence within her relationship and the events of that night would be too shameful. This lie of omission was her way of protecting her mother.

Florin Mendis had been born and raised in Blaxland Falls. She’d married young and enjoyed a love-filled marriage based on mutual respect. Apart from the death of Jo’s father, Florin had lived a quiet, easy life—a charmed life. She lived a peaceful, happy existence in a peaceful, happy town. For all her ballsy talk and bravado, Jo didn’t think Florin could handle the truth bomb of Blake’s violence and Sasha’s conception. For now, the secret would stay with the handful of people who knew.

Florin took her place on the lounge as Jo relayed an edited version of events.

‘It was okay, I s’pose. We talked about how he might be involved in Sasha’s life. He’s going to start picking her up on Tuesday afternoons.’

‘Well, that’s good.’ Florin’s expression was the essence of satisfaction. ‘That’s as it should be if you ask me. The girl needs to know her father, and it’s better late than never.’

Jo knew that last comment was a dig about Jo letting so much time pass before she allowed Sash and Blake to meet, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue over it.

‘I know. I think Blake really wants to be part of her life, of both our lives.’

As soon as those last words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She should never visit her mother when she was tired—it was like going out in the middle of winter without a coat.

‘Both of you, eh? Well now, that’s nice to hear. And you know, I always did think the two of you had something special. You were good together. Heck, the happiest I’ve ever seen you is when you were with him.’

Jo licked her lips, tasting the sweet, tartness of the residual wine. ‘I suppose so.’

‘You ever think that maybe you and Blake could rekindle things? I always thought one day you might, seeing that he never seemed to settle with anyone else, and you’ve been living God-knows-where, doing God-knows-what.’

‘Mum, you knew where I was and what I was doing. I was living in Urchin’s Bluff raising my daughter.’

Florin waved Jo’s comment away as if those details were of no real consequence.

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