Page 79 of Bluebird

18

Aweek into my family-inflicted house arrest, I awoke from my mid-morning nap to an unusually quiet house.

Assuming my brother and Dad were out on the farm, I wandered around downstairs searching for Mum. I gazed through the living room window at the beaming sun in the clear blue sky, and guessed she was outside pottering around the garden.

As I stepped out onto the front porch, the sun caressed my face and it felt glorious. I scanned the yard, but Mum was nowhere to be seen and neither was her car. I suspected she had gone into town to do some shopping while I slept.

I lazed back into my Dad’s chair and rocked back and forth, admiring all the things I took for granted on a daily basis. That was, until a large moving truck pulled into Luke’s driveway.

Bile crept up my throat and my chest ached. It appeared to be moving day for Marni and Luke. I had pushed the notion to the back of my mind whilst I focused on my recovery, and Luke never brought it up. I guess he didn’t want to upset me any further.

He had been distant since leaving the hospital, and now I knew why. Marni was back from Melbourne and he had been busy getting the house ready…for her.

Remembering what I overheard Marni tell her friends, I knew it was my last chance to save some of Dawn’s things, specifically, her piano.

I marched, or hobbled, over there as fast as my recovering body would allow. I prayed I wouldn’t run into Marni. I needed to speak to Luke in private before he got rid of anything, if he hadn’t already.

As I reached the truck, Nate jumped out of the driver’s seat. His eyebrows lifted and he grinned happily when he saw me approaching.

“So, you’ve finally decided to help, lazy bones?” he joked, heaving a box out of the back to take inside.

“Don’t you dare, young lady!” yelled my dad as he got out of the passenger side. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “But it’s good to see you up and about, darling.”

I smiled tightly. “Thanks, Dad, I’m feeling much better today.”

He returned a wink. “That’s my girl.”

No one else got out of the truck, so I trailed my brother into the house. “Nate, where’s Luke?”

He settled the box on the floor, and wiped sweat from his brow. “Back at Easton’s, packing the next load into his car, why?”

“I want to buy Dawn’s piano,” I stated, firmly.

“Ha! Good luck with that,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

My stomach dropped. “Why? Is it already gone?” I glanced over his shoulder to the music room in a panic.

Nate’s eyes narrowed, and he rested his hands on his hips. “What are you talking about?”

I folded my arms across my chest and frowned. “I overhead Marni tell her friends that she was going to get rid of it.”

“What does Marni have to do with this?”

I sighed. “She specifically said when she moved in, she was going to get rid of Dawn’s piano.”

Nate’s mouth dropped. “Wait…you do know they broke up, right?”

“What?”

Nate ran his hand through his hair and grimaced. “He didn’t tell you?”

I lowered my gaze and shook my head. “No…I didn’t know. Is he okay?” I asked, genuinely concerned. Guilt and hope churned my stomach, as I wondered if I was the cause.

Nate shrugged. “You should probably ask Luke.”

“Ask me what?” Luke interrupted, as he strolled into his house.

I jumped at his voice, and my heart accelerated.