‘Melinda?’ he called again. Again, no answer. Just a house so silent he could hear the tick of the clock in the kitchen.
He checked the bathroom and pushed open the toilet door but both were empty. In the spare room there was a suitcase half packed, but still no sign of his wife.
Unsure what to do, he looked through the case. He was relieved to realise her grandmother’s ring and watch set weren’t packed. If they had been, he would have known their marriage was over before it was even a few months old. The ruby-studded ring and watch were Melinda’s most prized and loved possessions and she never went anywhere without them.
‘Hi,’ her voice was suddenly behind him.
Spinning around, his arms outstretched, Dave started to smile, but his smile faded the moment he saw her face.
‘Hey?’ he said uncertainly. She was wearing her grandmother’s jewellery and her face was puffy.
‘I didn’t get a job,’ she said.
‘Oh.’ He suddenly understood.
‘I’m really angry.’ She stared at him, heat in her eyes.
‘I’m sure you are—’
‘No. At you,’ she interrupted. ‘Do you realise I may never get another job like my old one now I’ve resigned?’
‘I’m sure that’s—’
‘Wes Corris told me today. He’s director of nursing, so he’d have a pretty good idea.’
He reached out for her, tried to pull her into his chest, but she twisted away.
‘I’ve given up everything for you,’ she said, her tone changing from angry to icy cold. ‘Everything.’ She turned on her heel and left the room.
Dave stood still, staring at her retreating back. He had no idea how to deal with this; he’d never seen Melinda this unhappy.
‘Honey?’ he said, following her.
She was standing in the middle of the lounge room, tears rolling down her cheeks. This time she let him put his arms around her and hold her. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back, trying to make the anger go away. For his sake as much as hers.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Thank you for moving here with me. For supporting me the way you always do. I’d be lost without you.’ He kissed her forehead again. ‘I’m sorry if you’re angry with me. I never wanted it to be like this. I just assumed you’d get a job and everything would be fine.’
‘How can it be? I might never get a job like my old one. All the training I’ve done will have been for nothing.’
He shook his head. ‘No, it won’t. Something will come along. I know it will.’ Even to his ears that sounded like empty promises, but he had to say something. To help her.
Dave could see everything from her point of view. She had given up everything precious to her to come to Barrabine, to be with him. His grandfather’s voice whispered: ‘Melinda didn’t give up everything. She’s still got her qualifications. She just needs to find her fit.’
‘It’ll be okay,’ he said gently. ‘We’ll be okay. You just need to find your fit.’
Feeling like her eyes were gritty and swollen, Melinda picked up the phone and punched in the number Kathy had given her on one of her earlier visits. Dave had left early for his usual Saturday routine of a run and coffee. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but she’d insisted he go.
‘Go and do something today, by yourself. Just give me some time,’ she said to him. ‘I need time by myself.’ She knew he’d been upset when he’d walked out the front door, but she couldn’t help that. She had thinking and working out to do. And that included a phone call.
She’d argued with herself for the whole morning about whether to make the call or not, but finally she’d given in to her need to speak to someone other than her family. The last phone call she’d had with her dad had ended in him suggesting she come back to Bunbury to live with them. Her father wouldn’t like to know this but as soon as he’d said the words, her world had come into focus. He was still pushing her to come home, as if she were a child who didn’t know what was best for her. As if she’d made a silly decision and needed help to get out of a ‘situation’.
She didn’t. She’d decided to marry her soulmate. And if it meant living here in Barrabine with him, Melinda just had to deal with that. She didn’t want her marriage to fail. She loved Dave too much.
She thought back to the phone call she’d made to her sister yesterday. Sarah had told her in no uncertain terms it was time for her to pull herself together. ‘You can’t just keep ringing me up daily and saying how much you hate Barrabine. It’s dirty, or hot, or you can’t get a job. Life is what you make it, Melinda,’ she’d said.
Her family couldn’t really understand what she was feeling, but she did know someone who might.
‘Hello?’
Melinda paused before saying, ‘Um, hi, Kathy?’
‘Yes?’
‘It’s Melinda Burrows here.’
Melinda could almost feel Kathy’s pleasure down the line. ‘Oh, Melinda, it’s great to hear from you. How are you?’
How was she? Did she tell the truth?
‘Um…’ A lump swelled in her throat, closing it over.
‘How about I pop over?’
‘Thank you.’ She put down the phone and burst into tears again.
By the time Kathy arrived, Melinda had regained some composure but she was sure it was clear to the older woman that she’d been crying.
‘I’m guessing you’ll find it hard to believe, Melinda,’ said Kathy as they sat down to a cup of tea, ‘but I felt miserable when we first moved here too. Angry at Spencer for dragging me to some godforsaken place where there were more flies than people. Angry I had to leave all the friends I’d made
