Page 132 of The Me I Left Behind

Lilly nudged her arm. “You love it, and you know it. Let’s get Leo.”

She had barely lifted the boy out of the back seat when Freya trotted out of the house toward them. “Poppy!” Her arms encircled the woman, and she hugged her tight. “It’s been too damn long. What’s it been? Years, I know.”

“Decade or two, maybe.” Poppy held her gaze. Lilly thought she might have seen the glimmer of a tear in Poppy’s eyes. “You look great, Freya. Just great.”

“And so do you.” She kissed Poppy’s cheek, then turned to Lilly. “And this handsome young man has to be Leo!”

Lilly grinned. She’d not had the opportunity to show Leo off to friends much since he’d been born, so this was rather nice. And she was very proud of her boy. “He’s a bit of a chunky sausage but cuddly to hold.”

“Yes!” Freya’s eyes grew wide. “Give him to me while you get your things, then follow me to the house.” She glanced off toward the shed. “Wait. There’s Nate.”

She waved to him before taking the baby. “Nate! Come help Poppy with her bag and such.”

Freya’s husband jogged down the small hill toward them. Freya made introductions. Poppy reached for Nate’s hand and said, “You put your woman’s name first on your sign. Good on you.”

Nate grinned. “She’s the boss, ma’am.”

“Call me Poppy.”

He nodded. “I will. Now, where’s your bag, Poppy?”

She nodded toward the car trunk. Lilly handed off Leo and lifted her own bag out, then pointed to Poppy’s. Before he could step too far away from the vehicle, Poppy had corralled Nate with her arm tucked in his, and they chatted softly as Nate led her into the house.

Freya and Lilly exchanged a giggle.

“Nate has a way with little old ladies,” Freya said.

“Charmer, that one.” Lilly picked up her bag and closed the trunk. “And Poppy eats it up.”

They wound their way on a garden path around the house to the side entrance. Freya let them down a long hall with tall ceilings and wood plank floors—dusty, but this was a farm, Lilly reminded herself—to two guest rooms across from each other. Poppy to the left, where Nate left her bag, and Lilly and Leo to the right.

“Check out your rooms and have a bit of a rest. The bathroom is just around the corner. I’ll be in the kitchen—we passed it on our way in. We’ll make sandwiches for lunch. Take your time. Come join me when you are ready.” She turned to leave. “Oh, and if the breeze is too chilly, shut the windows. The mozzies are mostly gone now, so I like to air out the house in the afternoons when the weather is good.”

Lilly watched her friend amble down the hallway and turn into the kitchen, then looked at Poppy. “I’m a bit knackered. If Leo goes down after I change his nappy and has a bottle, I might nap, too. Don’t wait on me for lunch or to visit with Freya.”

Poppy nodded. “Good on ya. Take some time to yourself. I’ll let Freya know.”

Lilly smiled and turned into the room, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Leo was cooperative, which surprised her. Tired from the ride, she supposed. After a nappy change, Lilly fed him, rocking him in a chair by the bed. Freya had placed a portable crib in the corner, away from the window, and Leo slept soundly there. She felt comfortable enough to lie back on the bed, let the cool breeze float over her, and maybe doze herself. There was something about country air that always lulled her to sleep—maybe it was more of a feeling, a sense of security—but no matter, she soon drifted off.

A stiffer breeze blew into the room, lifting the curtains from the windows, and she aimlessly reached for a coverlet at the foot of the bed, tugging it up around her.

There. Perfect.

With a deep sigh, her body, and her mind, slowly relaxed….

The pounding on the door wouldn’t stop. Lilly rose from the bed and headed toward it, but it seemed she was walking in quicksand. Her feet were heavy, dragging against the sandy plank floors, and it was difficult to walk. The pounding reverberated through her skull.

My God, would it please just stop?I’m coming!

“Lilly! Let me in.”

Max? He wants in? What is he doing here? No.

“Lilly! I want to see Leo.”

No. No. I won’t let him.