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I t was around six months , maybe more, when Allison finally learned the truth.

Lucy had been dancing around trying to not tell her.

Both men told her she was being silly and both felt it would be better if her family knew, but she was honestly scared of their reactions.

It was when Allison asked if the family could come over for Geoffrey’s birthday in September and have lunch at Lucy’s that Lucy realized the truth finally had to come out.

“Okay, which day were you thinking of?”

“Lunch on Sunday.”

“All right. I’ll organize something for us to eat.”

“So which boyfriend are we going to meet? You really have to settle on one, you know, Mum.”

Lucy took a deep, deep breath. “Actually, I don’t, Allison. Seb and Jack are together—with me.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean, Mum?”

“I’m going out with them both, at the same time.”

“I know you are, but you have to...” There was a heavy silence as Allison finally realized what her mother said.

Lucy waited for the explosion.

“How could you? That’s sick!”

“I beg your pardon? Sorry, Allison, but there’s nothing wrong with our relationship.”

“Wrong? Hell, you’re going out with two men together.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Does that mean you’re sleeping with them both?”

“Yes.”

“Oh god! Please tell me not at the same time.”

“Not that it’s any business of yours, Allison, but we have a very satisfying sexual relationship together.”

“Eww!”

“If you’d rather not come, I understand, but realize both Seb and Jack will be here.”

“No, we’ll come. I want to meet them,” she snarled. Then, she added, “But I don’t have to like it.”

“I’m not asking you to like it, but I would expect you to be polite. But you have to understand, Allison, these men mean a lot to me. They are a huge part of my life. They both make me very happy.”

“Fine.” Lucy could hear the anger in Allison’s voice, but at least she knew now. Maybe given time she’d get over her hostility.

****

T he two men slept the night before Geoffrey’s birthday at Lucy’s.

Jack helped her cook and Lucy discovered she was really enjoying it and wasn’t too bad a cook. Sebastian had been watching the pair of them as they prepared lunch—a leg of roast lamb with all the trimmings.

Lucy’s family would be arriving around eleven, and lunch was organized for one.

The week before, Lucy had ordered some more chickens. Now that the coop was repaired, she had decided she wanted more.

Sebastian was picking up the chickens and chicks at eleven. They’d left it until today so Lucy’s grandchildren could help put them in the chicken pen. Sebastian had suggested it, thinking it might be a way to break the ice. He picked up his keys and kissed Lucy, then Jack.

“See you soon. Try and behave, you two.”

“Us? You’re joking.” Jack laughed at their lover.

Sebastian shook his head as he left the room. It was ten to eleven, and he had said that it was best to get away before Lucy’s family arrived so they only met the men one at a time.

Lucy was nervous as hell. She jumped and gave a tiny scream as she heard the front door open and a stampede of tiny feet run through the house.

“Nanny! Nanny!”

Two little bodies flung themselves into her. They both held balloons.

She knelt down and hugged them both then gave them a kiss each.

They gave her the balloons after singing a rousing chorus of ‘happy birthday to Daddy’. Lizzie told Lucy she was to mind the balloons because they were special and Lizzie was worried they would burst.

“Or Colin might pop them,” she whispered confidentially.

Lucy gravely promised she would put them somewhere safe so they wouldn’t. When she stood, Allison and Geoffrey arrived in the kitchen with Davie in Geoffrey’s arms. He tried to wriggle free and into Lucy’s. She took him off Geoffrey and introduced Jack to them all.

“Jack, this is my daughter, Allison, and her husband, Geoffrey. This squirming bundle is Davie, and the twins are Lizzie and Colin.”

Jack shook hands with Geoffrey, wished him happy birthday, and said hello to Allison. He bent down and said hello to the children.

“Can I call you Uncle Jack?” Lizzie asked. The children had been taught it was polite to add ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’ to an adult’s name.

“Of course.”

She nodded, satisfied.

Allison looked tight-lipped, but Geoffrey seemed more relaxed.

He looked at Jack, slightly puzzled. “I’m sure we’ve met somewhere. I know you.”

Jack was about to answer when the twins shouted to get Lucy’s attention.

“Can we feed the chickens, Nanny?”

“Just wait a few minutes, Colin. There’s a surprise on its way.”

Lizzie’s voice was serious as she reminded Lucy, “You have to mind Daddy’s balloons.” She held them out for Lucy to take.

“I’ll just put the balloons in the library where they’ll be safe.”

“What’s the surprise?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

The next ten minutes were spent with the twins trying to coax the surprise from Lucy. They followed her into the library, all the while their childish voices echoing through the house.

“Tell us, Nanny.”

“Yes, Nanny, what’s the secret?”

Geoffrey stood in the corner laughing at his children’s attempts when they came back into the kitchen. “You won’t get any secret out of Nanny. She’s the best at keeping them.”

Allison sat down at the kitchen table. Lucy gave Geoffrey a quick look but was saved from any further remarks when Sebastian walked in, holding a large carrier filled with chickens.

“There are two more in the car, Jack.”

Jack and Sebastian went off to collect them while the kids gathered around the one Sebastian put on the floor.

When they returned, Lucy introduced Sebastian to Allison and Geoffrey while the twins’ attention was diverted by the chickens. Allison held herself stiffly as she said an extremely terse hello. She took the baby off Lucy.

Geoffrey pushed himself off the wall and shook hands. “I know you. Sebastian Daley, right?”

“Yep, we’ve met a few times at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Youth program.”

“That’s it! I recognized Jack too but couldn’t remember from where. How are you?”

“Good, thanks, and happy birthday.”

Lucy could see Allison looked furious to think that Sebastian, Jack, and Geoffrey already knew each other and seemed to like each other.

Lucy introduced the twins to him as Seb, and they immediately called him ‘Uncle Seb’.

Lizzie was looking from him to Jack. “How come you both so big?”

Sebastian got on his haunches. “Because we eat all our vegetables.”

“Ooh yuk!” Lizzie wasn’t impressed.

Colin whispered conspiratorially to Sebastian, “She doesn’t like vetables, but I do. I’m going to be as big as you is.”

Sebastian muffled a grin behind his hand as he nodded.

When he stood, the three men each lifted a carrier. With the twins, Lucy, and Allison carrying the baby following, they went outside to the chicken pen.

There were six chicks, all six weeks old, and seven chickens that were five months old. As well, Sebastian had bought a very handsome rooster.

The twins helped lift the chicks out of the carriers and fussed over them.

It took about fifteen minutes before the children were ready to come out of the coop.

They’d had to name each one and then introduce them to Lucy’s original hens.

Lucy told the twins to pull off some leaves from the nasturtium vine and a couple of old cauliflowers growing in the garden to give to the birds.

The rooster, meanwhile, strutted around, trying to determine who he could boss about. Then he flew to a low hanging branch on one of the trees and crowed. The twins laughed with delight.

Lucy locked the pen door and left the kids to play in the yard with a soccer ball while the adults all walked back inside. She put the peeled root vegetables in the oven after turning the lamb.

Allison had a surprised look on her face. “You’re cooking a roast?”

“Yep. Jack’s been teaching me to cook. I’ve even made dessert. Cupcakes for the twins and crème br?lée for the adults—all from scratch!”

The look Allison gave Jack was not pretty. Fortunately, he, Sebastian, and Geoffrey were deep in conversation about the program they all had links to. Allison was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

Lucy got the impression things were not going the way she’d planned them, especially when it was so evident the three men liked and respected each other.

Lucy wasn’t sure how Geoffrey felt about her relationship with the men, but judging by the relaxed way the three were talking, Lucy was confident the three liked each other.

By the time lunch was ready, it was discernible that Allison would prefer to be anywhere else rather than Lucy’s. Thank goodness everyone else appeared relaxed. The twins seemed to be very taken with both men and demanded they sit next to them, spoiling more of Allison’s day.

The conversation around the table was enjoyable for all but two people—Allison and Sebastian. Whenever he spoke, Allison would stare across the table at him with an undisguised look of repulsion on her face.

“Gee, Lucy, Jack must be a good teacher. This is delicious. You did great.”

“Thanks, Geoff.”

Allison looked daggers at Jack, then in a sarcastic voice said to the table in general, “It doesn’t really take much talent to teach someone to cook.”

Silence fell, but Geoffrey whispered something to Allison. She flushed and pursed her lips, then made a show of cutting her meat.

After that, Lucy tried disregarding her, but it was becoming increasingly difficult when she rudely ignored the two men, completely acting as if they weren’t even in the room.

The twins loved their cupcakes, even more when Lucy told them they had some to take home.

Jack made coffees all around and then carried in a birthday cake that had been hidden from Geoffrey in the library.

The kids sang at the top of their voices then made a great to-do of helping their father blow out the candles.

When they’d finished eating their cake the adults allowed them to go back outside and play while they talked.

Allison sounded irritated as she said to Lucy, “So what’s with the cooking thing, Mum? You should have asked me.”

“Jack offered to teach me, and I took him up on it. I really enjoy doing it. It’s surprised me how much. Anyway, Allison, I’ve told you plenty of times I wanted to learn, and you’ve never offered.”

“I thought you were joking.”

“Heavens, Allison, I said it so often. I even asked you plenty of times to show me how to make things, but you’ve always ignored it.”

“Well, you should have asked me again.”

Allison sounded livid, but before Lucy could reply Jack spoke up. “Lucy’s been a great student, Allison.” Jack winked at Lucy. “You should taste her herb-creamed scrambled eggs or the quiche with asparagus and bacon. She’s even making bread.”

Allison pointedly ignored his comments and turned aside, but Geoffrey had a laugh.

“Hey, I’ll be in that,” Geoffrey said. “I love quiche.”

Lucy noticed Sebastian was now very quiet. She hoped he didn’t feel insulted by Allison’s attitude, although Lucy herself did. She was determined to speak to her daughter as soon as she got her alone. Lucy felt decidedly uncomfortable, but then suddenly Colin came rushing in.

“Lizzie kicked the ball. It’s in a tree.” He grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “Can you get it, Uncle Seb?”

Sebastian allowed himself to be dragged out of the dining room. Lucy thought he looked relieved.

Allison looked infuriated that her children obviously liked Sebastian.

“Why don’t you men go outside and help Seb?” Lucy said. “I’m sure the kids would love a game of soccer.”

Lucy wanted some time alone with Allison.

The men readily agreed and left the room.

Lucy cleared the table while Allison gave Davie a bottle and put him to sleep in a cot that Lucy kept especially for him.

Allison finally came into the kitchen as Lucy loaded the dishwasher.

Lucy looked up at her daughter. “What’s going on, Allison?”