Page 141 of Loving Wild

Gabe aims his own headshake, along with a smile at me. This shouldn’t be funny, shouldn’t be amusing in any way, but my heart takes a little tumble before it melts into my belly as I take in the chaotic scene around me, and appreciate what we have—the life we’ve created for us and our kids.

“What has she got the headphones hooked up to?” Gabe questions.

“My phone,” Dani calls from behind us.

“Course she does,” Gabe replies before turning to face Dani. “You didn’t think of putting a stop to this?”

“She’d already done the damage to the makeup when she asked me to play the song,” Dani defends herself.

“I can’t believe she knows every word to every verse,” a lanky kid who I think is called Jamie says. Ava’s friend Molly is standing next to him filming on her phone.

Ruby’s eyes are tightly closed as she sings her little heart out. As the song comes to an end, the crowd who’ve been clapping and singing along, break out into a round of applause. I watch on as my daughter opens her eyes, blows kisses to her audience, and leans forward to take a bow. When she does, her mop of auburn curls flops forward, the headphones slide from her head and take the Gucci sunnies with them. Finn steps forward to save the Bose and Gucci’s, but Ruby loses her balance as she makes a grab for them, Gabe moves in and scoops up our daughter.

“Great singing, angel,” he tells her as he kisses her cheek.

“Thank you, Daddy, it’s our favouritist one.”

The way she looks up at him adoringly, you’d think it was true that my daughter is an angel. She definitely looks like one with her big blue eyes, freckle-covered nose and mop of auburn hair, but nothing could be further from the truth.

My mother describes her as the daughter I deserve. A bad-tempered, demanding little diva, who loves with her whole heart, as long as she’s getting her own way.

“Ruby Ren Wild, what have I told you about touching my stuff,” Ava hisses from where Finn is trying to calm her down.

“Sorry, Avie, I didn’t mean to make a mess. I just wanted to look pretty for your birthday, and sing you the happy car dance song, coz I know it’s your favourite.”

That earns an awww from the crowd. Ruby laps it up.

“I just wanted to make Avie happy, Daddy,” she pouts. Knowing full well she has Gabe wrapped around her little finger with that look.

“I know, angel, but like I’ve told you before, you don’t touch Avie’s stuff without asking.”

“Or my stuff,” Reef joins the conversation. “Touch my stuff, and I’ll punch your lights out.”

“Enough, there’ll be no punching lights out. What’s the happy car dance song, baby?” Gabe looks between me and our daughter with narrowed eyes.

“When the happy songs come on, and we sing, Mummy makes the car dance,” Ruby explains.

“Yeah, one time, it danced too much and bumped the car in front, but Mum said it only kissed the other car and would be fine,” Reef adds.

“Thanks, kids,” I mumble as Dani throws her head back and laughs.

Gabe, eyes on me, nods, then shakes his head.

“Right you lot, start clearing up your mess, then come through to the deck, I’ll have a sausage sizzle going in about half an hour,” Gabe calls out to anyone who wants to listen. That announcement apparently warrants another cheer.

“You wanna get these two tubbed while I set up the food?” Gabe asks as we head back through the house.

“Could just throw them in the pool, they only showered last night. It’s just a bit of makeup, I can use wet wipes on their faces.”

“Pool, pool, pool,” Reef starts shouting, stomping along beside us in time to his demands. The kid spends more time in the water than out. He was out on a surfboard with Gabe before he could even walk, and at the age of seven, is better than some adults when he’s out on the water.

It terrifies me, but both our kids attend Nippers down at the Life Saving club on the beach. They’re both competent swimmers, and have been raised to know the dangers of being around water.

Half an hour later, I’m sitting on the edge of a sun lounger around the pool, watching Ruby, Reef, and my grandson, Harry, as they swim and play with my older boys.

Harry’s only three months younger than the twins. Sonny and his partner, Steph, moved back to Australia before he was born and bought Gabe’s old place from us. Their little girl, Rosie, is sitting between my legs watching the other kids, but at just three, even with her floaties on, she’s unsure about going in.

“Who wants food?” Gabe calls from behind me. I turn to see Steph holding open the pool gate as he and Dani come through, each carrying plates loaded with food. Zac, Sam, Jess, and Coop are following behind.