Disclaimer: All characters of the TV-show „McLeod's Daughters" are property of "Nine Network", "The South Australian Film Corporation" and "Millenium Television"(all additional characters, such as Emily, are property of the author).This is a non-profit story that was written for mere enjoyment. Any similarities to living or deceased persons are coincidental and were not intended by the author.
The Lost Years
Dear Charlotte,
I'm glad to hear that school is going so well and that you are enjoying the books I sent you. You can learn a lot from reading, keep that up and I'm sure your second year will go as well as the first one did!
Be patient with Natalie, though, even if she says mean things every once in a while. People do that sometimes, it doesn't mean that they don't love you. She is getting older and has reached an age where you want to be alone more often. It's not that easy to understand, but you see, sisters who are as far apart as you two often don't enjoy the same things. Now I know that the Playmobil pirate set you got for Christmas sounds like the best thing ever to you right now, but to her, it doesn't. You probably wouldn't like to play with a rattle, either(although I have to admit that Playmobil is a lot more fun than a baby's rattle). That's nothing to worry about, you'll always be her little sister.
Knocking before you enter her room may be a good idea, though. If she doesn't answer or tells you to leave her alone, then don't go inside, as hard as it is. That way, you don't have to fight all the time.
I know it can be tough to be the younger one, your mum and I could hardly agree on games when we were little. She wanted to play jillaroo, I wanted to play family. Most of the time, we ended up pretending to be ranchers, with Claire being the leader.
But believe me, there will come a time when you'll be glad to have a sister. Even those little fights make life more exciting and, most importantly, you're never alone because there's always someone to talk to.
My darling niece, I can't wait to see you. A year can be a very long time and our last visit was too short. I'm also glad that your dad has allowed you to stay on Drover's for a few days. From your letter, I take it you're excited to see everything. You asked many questions, but I'm afraid I won't be able to answer them today because I'm busy packing our stuff so it will arrive in Australia on time. I promise to tell you everything you want to know in a couple of weeks!
Nick says hi, as always, and so does Emily.
Love and hugs,
Aunt Tess
P.S.: In case you were wondering why there are blotches at the bottom of the paper-Em tried to"read" the letter right after eating a sandwich, sorry.