-1The trio arrived home in silence. Jodi, who had been babysitting Charlotte, raced out to greet them "What's going on? Is everything sorted out? What did I miss? Where have you guys been?" Jodi asked without giving anyone opportunity to answer.
"Everything is fine. Thankyou for babysitting. Better get an early night Jodi, shearing in the morning." Claire spoke sternly.
"But tell me what is going on…"Jodi asked, not willing to leave the house until she had heard every last piece of information.
"Good night Jodi" Claire said firmly. And Jodi had enough sense to realise Claire meant business. Jodi headed to the shearers quarters without protest, realising that something serious was going on.
Claire then turned to Alex, "Thanks for driving us home Alex."
"Well I better stick around." He said, sitting himself down on the chair.
"This is Drovers business." Claire told him. And he got the underlying message. This is not YOUR business.
Clearly unhappy, he left. "Yeah fine, call me when it suits you." He mumbled under his breath as he slammed the door behind him.
"Alex don't be like that!" Claire called out, not wanting to upset him, only wanting some peace and quiet to talk with Stevie. Why did Alex have to behave like a spoiled child, demanding her attention all the time?
Stevie had not spoken one word since leaving the police station.
"I'm going to check on Charlotte, Make some tea." Claire said this in a more gentle tone than the tone she had used with Jodi or Alex, even though she realised it was Stevie she had good reason to be angry with.
Stevie obeyed her instantly, putting the kettle on and preparing tea. Moments later Claire came downstairs and sat at the table opposite Stevie.
Claire looked at her friend straight in the eyes "Well?" She asked, waiting for some explanation which she felt she deserved. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Claire was trying to be patient, but it was not an easy thing for her at the best of times.
Stevie made no reply. She looked down to her cup of tea wishing she could somehow find the words to explain the situation, Wishing that Claire had given up and left her for dead, at least she wouldn't be here struggling to try and explain herself. Stevie decided she would rather face a firing squad than the questioning look in Claire's eyes.
"Did you steal my cattle?" Claire tried a different approach, asking a simple, direct question.
"It's a bit complicated…" Stevie muttered.
"If you stole the cattle that's one thing." Claire spoke. "Maybe we can sort it out. But if you lie to me, that's something else. I want to hear the truth. Now." Claire continued, her words becoming firmer as she spoke. Claire thought back to that time just after Jack had died and her workers had been stealing fuel. She knew exactly how to handle the situation. She fired them instantly. But this was different. This time it wasn't just a worker, but her best friend. And this time she wasn't so certain of what was the right thing to do.
Stevie was uncertain how to respond. She hadn't expected anything beyond being thrown off Drovers Run. She hadn't expected to face Claire's questions, or the disappointment in her eyes. She hadn't expected that she would need to formulate an explanation, hadn't expected that anyone would be interested.
"Guess I thought we were friends." Claire said finally, sadly, feeling frustrated that not only did she defend Stevie to Alex, but that she was sitting here now, giving her the chance to explain herself, and Stevie didn't even have the decency to answer a simple question. What kind of friendship did they really have if Stevie couldn't even answer one question honestly?
"We were… I mean we are…" Stevie stammered, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.
And in that moment Claire saw something beyond tears in her friends eyes. Something that told her Stevie wasn't a cattle thief. There had to be something else going on. Some reason. Some justification. Something. Anything that would mean her best friend hadn't betrayed her. Claire just wanted to shake the truth out of her, but at the same time she fought off a sentimental impulse to hug the girl.
The moment was interrupted as Jodi burst into the house. "The roof in the shearers quarters is leaking again!" Jodi complained. "If I sleep down there I might drown. And no one would even save me because you two are busy with your midnight party that I'm not invited to!" Jodi went on talking.
"Alright." Claire said wearily, "You guys better sleep in the house tonight." Claire conceded. Claire figured Jodi might be exaggerating about the impending flood in the shearers quarters, but she hadn't the strength to argue about it. She was getting nowhere fast with Stevie, and maybe they would all feel better in the morning.
Stevie looked puzzled, opening her mouth to say something but Claire silenced her, looking to Jodi, not wanting Jodi to hear about the cattle just yet.
"Well, come on then." Claire grabbed Stevie by the hand dragging her up the stairs "You can sleep in Tess' room, Jodi can sleep in the spare room."
At the top of the stairs Stevie said quietly "Do you want me to leave?" Not caring anymore if Jodi heard or not. Jodi seemed to be the least of her problems at the moment.
"Why would Claire want you to leave?" Jodi asked, curious and concerned.
"I'm not going to kick you out in the middle of the night in the middle of the storm." Claire answered, when what she really wanted to say was "No! Of course I don't want you to leave, you're my friend."
"If you want me to go, I'll go." Stevie offered, not really wanting to stick around. Not wanting to see Claire look at her with so much disappointment in her eyes. Stevie tried to make it sound as though she didn't care one way or the other if Claire kicked her out. She tried to tell herself she didn't care. Drovers Run and Claire meant nothing to her. That way it wouldn't hurt so much to lose them.
"What I want is for the two of you to shut up and go to sleep, big day of shearing tomorrow." Claire said seriously, as she pushed Stevie inside to Tess room and shut the door behind her. Claire then headed off to her own bed, her mind trying to make sense of what was going on, while Jodi stood in the hallway stunned.
Claire knew that Stevie was keeping something from her, that much she was sure of. Stevie had supposedly confessed to the police, but still offered no explanation or excuse to Claire. Claire refused to believe it. It was crazy. Stevie wouldn't have stolen from her. Not after everything Claire had done for her. And at the end of the day, Claire simply wouldn't let herself believe that Stevie had betrayed her, because she didn't want to lose her best friend. Claire couldn't help but remember back the to last time she had seen Stevie years ago at the rodeo. She often thought that she should have acted somehow differently that day, and maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe Stevie wouldn't have disappeared and maybe they wouldn't have lost so many precious years. She was determined not to let go of the friendship so easily this time.
Besides, she needed a good leading station hand with Becky and Tess gone. Yes, that's it Claire tried to justify it in her mind, it's a business deal. Nothing sentimental about it. Good business sense to keep Stevie around. Nothing to do with the fact that Claire would miss her terribly if she wasn't here. Claire nodded, pleased with herself. But then she could almost hear Alex voice in her head 'How is it good sense to keep a thief and a liar around?' The voice scolded her. Claire put her head under the pillow trying to drum out the events of the day and fell into a restless sleep.
Stevie sat confused. She had expected anger at her confession. She could have dealt with that. What she wasn't prepared to deal with was forgiveness, kindness, and second chances.
After hours of no sleep Stevie heard the faint noise of a baby crying. It's Charlotte, she told herself. But deep inside her heart she heard the cry of Rose. And she was compelled to get out of bed and seek out the crying child. She quietly entered the nursery and picked up the little girl. Stevie tried not to have too much to do with Charlotte. It reminded her so much of Rose. And right now Charlotte was just at the age that Rose had been when Stevie had been forced to give her up. Stevie stood rocking the little girl back and forth and the child fell asleep. She looked down and saw little blond Charlotte in her arms, but she closed her eyes and in her arms was little Rosie.
Stevie stood so peacefully enjoying this moment with the little girl, that she hadn't heard the door open, or Alex enter into the nursery.
"What are you doing with her?" Alex whispered as not to disturb the sleeping baby. He reached for the child. In her mind it took Stevie back to that moment she had handed Rose over to Michelle. Handed her over for the last time and not ever held her again.
"She was crying." Stevie tried to explain, realising that any explanation wouldn't satisfy him, and recognising that look in his eyes. That same look she had seem a hundred times before when people looked at her and Rose. That look that said 'you're not good enough for that child.' As she reluctantly let Alex take the child from her arms, she wanted to scream "No no no, give her back to me!" and over and over again she silently reminded herself "It's Charlotte, It's Charlotte, It's Charlotte, It's not Rose."
"What are you doing creeping around the nursery in the middle of the night?" Alex demanded to know as he held Charlotte protectively close to him.
Realising that no answer would satisfy him, she didn't bother trying. "What are YOU doing creeping around the nursery in the middle of the night?" She asked.
"Someone has to protect Claire and Charlotte. You never know what kind of strange people might be hanging around."
"Yeah well I was just leaving." Stevie told him, waiting for him to step aside and let her exit. But he stood blocking the doorway.
"What's your problem with me Alex?" She asked.
"Problem? Why should I have a problem with someone who steals cattle from her employer, lies about it, and creeps around little kids in the middle of the night?" He asked as he stood aside from the doorway placing the sleeping baby into her crib. "Are you going to sell Charlotte at the cattle sale too? Might get a good price." Alex finished, feeling quite proud of himself for his comment.
Stevie shook her head sadly, realising that somewhere along the way, Alex had turned on her completely. And it wasn't over the stupid cattle. Once, long ago, they had been mates. And now he looked at her with nothing but contempt. Even before the cattle went missing. All she wanted to know was what she'd done do him. With one final glance at him, and at the baby that he feared for, she turned and headed quickly out of the house.
As she crept down the stairs and out into the night, she could still see his accusing eyes before her. They eyes of a friend she had once trusted, and who had once trusted her. Claire's eyes haunted her too, that look of frustration, of disappointment, and those sad defeated words "I thought we were friends". And as she ran through the rain towards the main road, Stevie could still feel that soft sweet touch of a sleeping child in her arms, and she reminded herself of the reason she was doing all of this. For Rose.
