Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Storms (18 page)

‘Way to go!’ I yelled, still clapping as Saskia threw the stick out into the river again.

‘Sophia and Woolfie really like each other,’ said Saskia. ‘It’s a shame they can’t hang out at each other’s places when they’re not at Boredom Control.’

‘They could, I guess,’ I said. ‘If Ritchie and Kara knew each other existed.’

We went silent for a moment, possibly because we had all thought of the same incredibly good idea. If we were cartoon characters we would all have had light globes go on above our heads.

‘Brilliant!’ said Lyall. ‘Boredom Control could add a whole new arm to the business: matchmaking. Do we charge extra for that?’

‘Yay!’ squealed Saskia. ‘If Kara and Ritchie were friends, Woolfie and Sophia could be friends too!’

‘And Kara and Ritchie might fall in love!’ I said, not quite believing the pukie words that were coming out of
my own mouth. I was already formulating the perfect plan – a way of Kara and Ritchie meeting where they wouldn’t know they’d been set up. It was a slightly mischievous idea because it involved a little (just a little) meddling into other people’s lives, but surely it was okay if it meant
helping
other people. Let’s face it, Kara just wasn’t going to find anyone on her own …

When it was time to drop the dogs home I put my idea into action. We gathered their leashes together, and right before Lyall clipped them on I took Sophia’s and Woolfie’s collars off and swapped them around.

‘Brilliant!’ said Saskia. ‘Ritchie and Kara will have to talk to one another to get the right collars back, and their phone numbers are right there on the tags.’

‘Nice work, Sunny!’ said Lyall.

‘Yes! I love it!’ said Saskia, jumping up and down on the spot.

‘But Woolfie’s hair is so long,’ added Lyall. Ritchie might not even notice he’s got the wrong collar.’

‘Kara will, believe me,’ I said as we made our way towards the front gate.

‘There is
one
problem though, Sunny,’ said Saskia, as we were walking down our street. ‘A bright green problem in fact.’

‘
CROCS!’
we all said at once.

‘Those tragic green crocs of Ritchie’s could stand in the way of a life of a potential perfect match,’ I said. ‘They could possibly ruin the whole plan!’

‘Don’t worry, Sunny,’ said Lyall, with a particularly devilish look on his face. ‘You can leave that part up to me …’

On my way
over to Dad and Steph’s I posted a letter to Finn because I wanted him to come over again in three days time and you have to really plan ahead with snail mail. At least the pigeon post would be a little more efficient.

Finally, I was Flora-bound. She was all I could think about on the bus.

I kind of think I might know how it feels to be a mother because even though Flora is only my half-sister, it feels as if some sort of magnet is pulling me to be with her all the time. Being away from her just feels wrong and that’s the only way I can explain it.

Living in two houses makes it worse. I mean, Flora’s my half-sister
plus
I only get to see her
half
the time. Even I know that only adds up to a quarter, and Maths is my worst subject. I’m planning all the ways I’m going to make it up to her when she gets a little older. I’m definitely going to take her to the Melbourne Show and let her go on all the rides, instead of just looking at the animals like Mum did with me. And I’m definitely going to tell her about the existence of morning television and not keep it a secret like Mum did. Can you believe I only found out there were kids’ shows on the tellie in the mornings when I started school? I should have definitely called the Kids Help Line about that one!

Auntie Guff’s car was in the driveway when I got to Dad and Steph’s. Dad’s car was there too, which was weird because it was only four in the afternoon. I slipped my key into the lock and opened the door as quietly as I could, in case Flora was sleeping. Guff was in exactly the same
position as she had been last time – cooking meals for the freezer.

‘Sunny!’ she said, washing her hands.

‘Hey, Guff,’ I whispered. ‘What’s cooking this time?’

‘Well, it’s one of those daggy old seventies favourites from the
Women’s Weekly Cookbook
– apricot chicken.’

‘Yum,’ I said pulling open the pantry doors. ‘I love a fork dish. Where is everyone? How come Dad’s home already?’

‘They had an appointment with the doctor. He’s just outside, darl, hanging a load of washing out. And Steph’s having a bit of a lie-down with the baby.’

As usual,
I thought to myself, when it suddenly occurred to me that maybe it was only when
I
was around that Steph hid in the bedroom. Maybe she just didn’t want to talk to
me
?

Dad came though the back door with the empty laundry basket. He looked kind of spooked and hollow, as if he might have even forgotten I was coming. I went over and gave him a hug.

‘Hi, Dad. What’s up?’

‘Make us a pot of tea, would you, Sunny? We need to have a bit of a talk.’

Dad sat down at the kitchen bench while I got three cups from the cupboard and put the kettle on. Guff gave Dad
the eyebrow
, as if to say,
Do you want some help with
this, because we all know having talks is really not your strong point?

I was starting to think I’d done something wrong, but I honestly couldn’t think of anything. Well, apart from the telescope-stalking of Settimio and switching the dog collars, but as if Dad would know anything about that. In his eyes, I was a model citizen. Still, the very feeling of a big serious talk made me want to take a trip on
ThinAir
, but ever since the upgrade, even that didn’t seem like an attractive option.

Dad poured three cups of tea and then cleared his throat.

‘I took Steph to the doctor again today. You know how she’s been having a difficult time of it? Well, I’ll get straight to the point, she’s been diagnosed with postnatal depression.’

‘I don’t get it,’ I said, putting some honey in my tea.

‘Hopefully it’s a temporary thing,’ added Guff, trying to sound positive.

‘But I don’t understand why Steph is even depressed in the first place. She was so excited about having Flora. Shouldn’t it be a happy time, now that she’s actually here?’

‘It doesn’t always work that way, I’m afraid,’ said Dad. ‘Steph just feels wretched, and guilty for feeling wretched and for not being able to enjoy Flora like she thought she would.’ He was getting all teary-looking, which must have
been contagious because pretty soon I was getting throat ache real bad.

‘But what about Flora? Babies pick up on vibes, if you don’t know, Dad.’ I could imagine how bad it might feel to be a tiny baby and for your only mother in your only life to be all bent out of shape because you’d been born. I mean, Willow knows when I’m not happy with her and she’s a dog.

Then I remembered how in Year Three we had to carry an egg around with us for a whole week so that we could get an idea of how demanding it was to be a parent. Maybe if Steph had done an experiment like that she might have discovered that she just wasn’t cut out for motherhood. Maybe Steph’s egg would have broken like Ruby Cantwell’s, or maybe she might have lost it like Claud almost did. In any case, I was kind of cross with Steph, even though I was meant to be having
compassion
.

‘So that’s why Steph’s been such a grump?’

‘Sunday!’ said Dad angrily, and Guff quickly stopped nodding.

‘Sorry,’ I said, wiping away a tear.

I buzzed for the hostess and she came in hardly any time at all because up in first class you have a hostess pretty much all to yourself.

‘Yes, Sunday, would you like something to eat?’

‘I think I’ll go for the signature steak sandwich please. And can I have the relish on the side? I sometimes don’t like chilli.’

‘Coming right up Ms Hathaway, it won’t be long at all.’

‘Thanks so much, and after that I think I’ll try the raspberry friand, the Gypsy cream biscuits and the chocolate-coated vanilla ice-cream. Oh, and just out of interest, whose signature do you get with the steak sandwich?’

I was brought back from the clouds by some baby squeaks coming from the bedroom, and Steph opened the door with Flora in her arms.

‘I’ve just been having a talk with Sunny,’ said Dad.

‘Hi, Sunny,’ said Steph, giving Flora to Dad. ‘Sorry it’s not exactly
uplifting
over here at the moment.’ Steph flopped onto the couch.

‘If you’d prefer I didn’t come over for a while, I under— ’

‘No! Please,’ said Steph, ‘that would make me feel like a
total
failure.’

Flora’s squeaks were becoming more and more unsettled.

‘How about Sunny and I take her for a walk?’ said Guff. ‘Dinner’s cooked. We just need to steam some rice.’

‘You’re a doll,’ said Steph. ‘She’s just had a feed and
she’s got a clean nappy, so with any luck, she just might drift off to sleep.’