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JOSH

Josh’s phone buzzed,rudely waking him. He’d fallen asleep a few hours ago with the help of a bottle of red wine. The thumping ache in his head reminded him of the drawbacks of drowning your sorrows alone.

Thin morning light crept into the room, and the shrill dawn chorus beginning outside seared into his brain. Josh tried to move his legs but couldn’t. He looked down at the white sheet twisted around his body. As if escaping from a straitjacket, he kicked himself free, avoiding Wendy, who snored at the end of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and picked up his phone to see a brief text from Thea.

Thea:Coffee? I’m outside.

Josh frowned. What the hell was she doing up so early? He climbed out of bed and went to the open window. Thea was standing outside his front door with a sleeping Amelia in her arms. The little girl clutched a threadbare stuffed rabbit and sucked on her thumb, oblivious to her dawn adventure. His sister grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

“Hang on a minute,” Josh said.

He ran his fingers through his hair, and on hearing him up and about, Wendy lumbered to her feet and stretched, wagging her tail in greeting. Dressed only in light grey boxers, he walked from his bedroom to the living area and unlocked the front door. Thea stepped into the room, lay Amelia on the couch, and covered her with a blanket. The little girl stirred, sighed, and drifted back off to sleep.

“You didn’t come over last night,” Thea said, her eyes scanning Josh’s face. “And I know you weren’t working because your lights were on. I thought you might have company, but then I thought, no, Josh never has company.” A smile danced on her lips as one of her blonde eyebrows raised.

Without answering, Josh turned away and removed two mugs and a coffee pot from the cupboard. Wendy came wandering out of the bedroom. She nuzzled Thea’s hand, then jumped up on the couch to curl up with Ammy.

“Joshie, is something wrong?”Thea said.

“No,” he replied, “but I have to pee.” He disappeared into the bathroom. “Turn the pot on,” he shouted over his shoulder.

Josh took care of business, then set about brushing his teeth. He caught his reflection in the mirror and examined his face. The bags under his eyes reflected his night. He’d struggled to sleep in the muggy heat, his senses dulled by too much wine.

Sweaty and frustrated, he’d tossed and turned, replaying the day repeatedly in his head. Every conversation was inked into his memory. Still, he’d tortured himself with thoughts of what could happen between Kitty and Daniel at Julia’s. The fact he’d come so close to telling her how he felt terrified him.

Josh walked back into the kitchen. Thea had opened all the windows, and the cacophony of the morning birds filled the room. She was busy brewing coffee on the stove, and he sat at the kitchen table. He dragged his fingers through his messy hair, examining the empty wine bottle in front of him.

“Did you have company?” Thea asked.

Josh sighed heavily. “Nope. Just too much to drink and plenty to think about.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Not here,” he said, nodding towards a stirring Amelia. “Let’s go outside.”

Josh carried two mugs of steaming black coffee into the garden and sat beside Thea on the bench. The vapour trails from their cups curled and wound upwards through the cool morning air.

“Okay, spill the beans, little bro,” said Thea.

Josh recounted the entire day. He told her about the new gum boots, the time at the dairy, their disastrous visit to Patricia’s, and Kitty’s courage in dealing with Diva.

“Then I took a few hours off, and we swam at the river.”

Thea scoffed. “You took time off? Younevertake time off. Spontaneity strikes my all too serious brother, it seems. What caused that?”

Josh rolled his eyes, a tiny smile on his lips.

“And swimming in the river, no less. Don’t tell me you went skinny dipping?” Thea giggled and took a sip of her coffee.

“No, no skinny dipping. I’ll leave that sort of thing to you, dear sister. We wore undies.”

Her eyes glittered with mischief. “Interesting. But this doesn’t sound bad. Why the sad face and empty wine bottle?”

“I told her about Tabitha,” Josh said.

“Allabout Tabitha? Meaning you left nothing out?”