“Thank God. Alanis is getting nervous. I haven’t seen her but Barry has eyes on her. Her behaviour is erratic and she’s started packing up her house.”
She frowns. “You think she’s moving?”
I shrug. “Got no idea and I really don’t want to know. He’ll keep on it, though. I just want that woman locked up. Your date can’t come fast enough.” Her appeal date is set for three months’ time. It’s fucking outrageous that wrongfully convicted people have to work so hard and for so long to prove their innocence.
Jolene’s lawyer was adamant we needed scientific evidence to back up every other piece of evidence we’d gathered in order to exonerate her. The last six months have been spent searching desperately for that.
“I think it’s all going to work out, Luke,” she says quietly and I feel the pain, the doubt and the hope behind those words. She hasn’t wanted to fully believe she’ll be freed in case it doesn’t happen. I can’t blame her. If I lost everything like she has, I wouldn’t want to believe I might get my life back again in case that all crumbled too.
I reach for her hand and squeeze it. Smiling, I say, “Yeah, I feel it, too.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, watching each other. Reflecting. And then she looks down at Sean. “Okay, baby, you need to tell me all about school and how you’re going with Jacinta May.”
I chuckle as my son groans. He’ll learn soon enough that it’s the girls who annoy us the most that we want more than anything else in this world.
Jolene’s eyes meet mine briefly.
We exchange a knowing smile.
As she becomes engrossed in Sean’s story, I know we’re going to be okay. Whatever happens, the three of us will get through this because we’ve finally found our way back to each other.
A couple of hours later, Sean struggles with the shopping bag he’s carrying for me. “Dad, this is too heavy for me,” he grumbles.
I reach for it and take it out of his arms. Nodding at the door in front of us, I say, “You knock.”
He does as I ask and we wait for it to be opened. Looking up at me, he asks, “Do you think Mariah will come out today?”
I smile. “I hope so. She must be pretty hungry by now.”
“I’ll feed Jasper first and then look for her.” Callie’s cat. Mrs Harper took on the care of Jasper when Callie moved.
The door opens and Mrs Harper gives me a stern look. “You’re late, Luke.”
I fight the chuckle working its way up. This woman is one tough cookie, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. “The traffic was bad.”
She scowls. “Likely story, young man.” Gesturing for us to enter, she steps back to let us in.
I make my way to her kitchen and place the groceries we bought her on the kitchen counter. I then unpack them and put them away while Sean grabs the cat food and attempts to feed Jasper and Callie’s strays. They don’t always come out for him, but he lives in hope.
Mrs Harper joins me in her kitchen. I know what she’s about to do because we do this dance every week when I visit to stock up her groceries and check if any maintenance needs to be done around her home.
I get in first. “No, I haven’t spoken to her and no I have no plans to do so.”
The scowl is still sitting on her face. “You are a fool, Mr Hardy.”
I eye her. “So I’ve been told.”
“But you’ll be seeing her next week, yes?”
My movements halt. “Yes, but it won’t change anything.”
“You are so focused on the fact you think she needs her work more than she needs you. Have you ever stopped to consider she could have both?”
“I’ve considered this from every angle I can. And I always come up with the same thing—what if I ask her to give up her job and move home and she does that, but then resents me for asking that of her? What if she never finds her dream job again? I won’t be that man, Mrs Harper.”
“That’s a lot of what-ifs. You can’t live your life with those guiding you. You need to take charge and put all your cards on the table. Callie is a strong woman. She’ll make the right decision for her. There’s no harm in asking for what you want, Luke. It’s time you started putting yourself first. Live a little. God knows life flies by so fast that if we don’t make ourselves happy while we have the chance, we’ll grow old in a puddle of regret.” Her eyes glint with joy when she adds, “Now, where is that boy of yours? I’ve got a present for him.”
She shuffles away from me in search of Sean. Mrs Harper has become the grandmother to Sean he never had. My mum loves him, but she doesn’t spend time passing wisdom on to him. Mrs Harper showers him with time and attention. I often find them snuggling up on the couch, poring over the atlas or a history book while she relays stories of her life to him. He adores her and craves time here. I crave time here for a whole other reason.