Before he was out of the car, a small woman came running from the front door.
"Russ, you're home." She raced down the steps and threw herself into his arms, sobbing against his chest.
"Shh, Essie, it's okay, I'm here." He held her close, feeling the sobs racking through her frail body. When her cries turned to small hiccups, he held her back and wiped the tears from her wrinkled cheeks with his thumbs. "Still throwing yourself at the boys after all these years, Essie."
"Oh, away with you." She reached up and batted him on the shoulder and he feigned pain. "It's so good to see you home. It threw me for a minute."
"I get it, Essie. It kind of threw me off coming up the driveway too."
"I'm sorry this is the reason you came home. I know your dear mother would have wanted be here to see you return."
"I know, but hey, better late than never." He flicked a button on his key ring and opened the boot to take an overnight bag from between the boxes.
"Are you home for the funeral or for good, Russ? Looks like you have a bit of stuff with you."
He tucked an arm around her slight shoulders and walked up the steps onto the veranda. "Big changes are happening for me, Essie. Pour me a cup of tea and I’ll fill you in."
As they walked through the dark polished oak doorway, his gaze picked out the familiar family crest inlaid in the stained glass panels either side of the door. The smell hit him first, a mixture of beeswax furniture polish entwined with the softer fragrance of roses. His mother had loved her roses and Russ stopped when he spotted them. The crystal bowl sat on the low table in the reception room as if she'd placed them there herself. Even the old leather chairs were still tucked into the curve of the stair case and he remembered seeing her there, waiting.
"You father wouldn't let me change a thing when she died."
"I'm glad he didn't. It's like she is still here."
"I swear some days she is. Your room is still the same. I haven't moved a thing since you left."
Russ dropped his bag at the foot of the stairs and followed Essie into the back of the house to the kitchen where the smell of baking filled the room. "You've been busy again I see."
She filled the kettle before placing it on the stove and grinned at him. "You know me well enough to know I wouldn't have people over to farewell your father and not feed them." She took a tissue from her apron pocket and blew her nose. "Is Cade coming home?"
"Yes, he should be here soon. I met him at Tory's but he has his own car. I don't know if he will stay, Essie. His world is football." Russ stood with his hands in his pockets and looked around the room. Nothing had changed in here either but he hadn't expected it to. Essie was a stickler for order and kept things exactly how she liked them.
She made him tea and put it on the island counter between them. "I guess Tory filled you in on what has happened here since you left?"
"Yeah, he did." He lifted his cup and took a sip.
"Kate should be in soon. She is a godsend to this place, let me tell you. When your dad started finding it hard to manage on his own, she was happy to help out. She's run the place ever since, taking on more and more until he could relax and let her manage it on her own."
"I never thought farming was her thing growing up. She always talked about going to the city."
"Pfft, you know why that was don't you? Your brother was going and she was stuck on him. Stupid boy couldn't see what was under his damned nose."
"But all the girls followed him around. That’s the way it was."
"Yeah, and more fool me for being one of them." Kate walked in the back door throwing her Akubra on the hook on the wall. She slipped her arm over Essie's shoulders, giving the older woman a hug. "Russ, how are you?" She stepped over to him and into his arms, a smile lighting up her emerald eyes. "It's been too long."
"It has but I can honestly say time has been very kind to you. You look great, Kate." He held her at arm's length and gazed at her.
"Hard work must agree with me then." She moved away and opened the fridge door, taking out a plate of cold meat. "Can I eat this, Essie? I'm damned hungry."
She ripped off the cling film cover and pulled a strip of meat from the bone. Kate closed her eyes as she chewed and smiled in appreciation of the taste. Russ stood watching her, fascinated. The little girl had grown into a stunning woman.
"Do I have something on my face?" She licked her lips and wiped her hand over her chin.
"Tory didn't tell me you had grown up so…um well…stunning."
"Yeah well, that just kind of happened." She shrugged her shoulders and continued to fill her mouth, chewing slowly as she watched him. "So, what have you been up to? Still playing doctor to all those rich folks?"
He laughed as she winked his way. "No, never been that type of guy, which I’m sure you know anyway." He smiled at her before he spoke. "You may as well both know, I signed my divorce papers a couple of days ago. I’m a free man again." The thought gutted him.
"Fuck, Russ, I'm so sorry." Kate wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and took a step toward him. "I didn't know, Tory never said anything." She lay her hand over his and squeezed. "Anything I can do?"
"No but hey, thanks. I'll get over it in time. Probably for the better anyway
