Chapter 22

Just after noon, they drove to school with their two cars. Kate came with her own car because Dylan had to go home too. They had to wait thirty minutes before the school bus arrived. The children rushed out of the bus, grabbed their backpack and headed for their parents. Duncan did the same. He was surprised to see Dylan next to Kate.

"Hey mum, Uncle Dutchy", he greeted them and watched the tall man, anxious to know why he was there too.

"Hi darling, how was your journey?", she asked him.

"Great! We saw kangaroos and even a brown snake!", he said excitedly.

"They also told us about venomous spiders…", he continued.

Kate wrinkled her nose, "It's all right! No more disgusting things. Have you also seen some nice things?"

"Oh yeah! Wombats. We even petted some at the farm", the boy continued happily.

"Uh, dear, we have to tell you something", Kate started who was waiting for his attention.

"Yes?"

"Dylan and I are together now", she said a bit worriedly, looking at her son.

"Oh? So we're going to live together?", he asked surprised.

"Yes, that's the intention".

"Oh great!", the boy exclaimed who wrapped his arms around a surprised Dylan at his reaction. He looked at Kate and saw her turn away.

Kate was overcome by emotion seeing her son's reaction and turned away.

Father and son finally reunited, but they don't know it yet. How cute. But, how am I going to tell them?

She swallowed, wiped her eyes and faced them.

"Sweetie, are you okay?", he asked, a hand on the boy's shoulder.

She took a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's the emotion, you know", she said with a shrug.

"Where are we going to live?", Duncan asked.

"At Dylan's house. Our flat is a Navy one, temporarily at our disposal" Kate answered.

"Great! Close to the horses!", Duncan exclaimed. "And when?"

"It's going to take time and we can't do this in one evening. Besides, you have your school work. So, we are going to settle in next weekend", she said.

"Ah, okay".

Dylan and Kate looked at each other and he nodded, "I guess you have work to do now?"

"Absolutely. This little rascal has a full laundry basket now".

"Yeah, see you tomorrow then?", he said.

"It's okay and thank you for everything".

"With pleasure".

They kissed and he ruffled Duncan's hair. They each returned to their car and drove home.

The next day, Monday, Kate was reading the latest information report about their area when there was a knock at the doorframe of her office.

"Yes", she said, her eyes still on the screen.

Pete entered, "Ma'am, I've here the list of the obsolete items like maps and computers that need to be replaced. Coughy, uh Lieutenant Coughan asked me to hand it over to you", he said, hoping she hadn't noticed his syntax slip.

But Kate heard it and stifled a laugh. "Thank you Pete. Oh, by the way. How are you doing now? I asked Nikki many times, but I never asked you personally".

He straightened his back and felt a bit uncomfortable at the time, "Well uh ma'am, I'm fine. No, that's not true. I'm feeling a bit guilty. For the whole situation, with Nik, of course. I didn't see it coming. I thought it was just fun to let our hair down after work, maybe going a little overboard. No, I'm a jerk not to have seen that it was that worse. The worst was that we were busy scaring our daughter away. Now, I'm realising more and more what was going on, but for us, I saw nothing coming. Even Bomber, Becca, shook the coconut tree, but in vain. I'm extremely grateful to you for coming back. You're the only person she listens to, you know. Thank you".

She smiled at him, "It's with pleasure. It's not only my job to keep everyone happy and healthy, but also as a friend. And you? With booze?"

He rolled his eyes, "Not so much. Barely, to be honest. I'm doing it for Hazel. She's happy when I don't drink. That's why you did it, right?", he said.

"Absolutely Pete. And you know, if you want to talk, just pop in".

He nodded, "Thank you ma'am. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes, thank Coughy for me", she said with wink and he grinned.

One hour later, Dylan announced himself to her, "Good morning ma'am. Where are we going with this patrol?", he asked solemnly.

She smiled broadly, "Ah! Dylan, please come in".

"Thank you ma'am", he answered deadpan.

She frowned, "Are you always so daft? Otherwise I have to reconsider everything", she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It depends on the day of the year, the tides and the moon", he replied deadpan.

Kate closed her eyes and sighed, "Moron!"

When she opened them again, she saw that he was smiling broadly.

"I'll make you pay for it. I like real cappuccinos. Remember it!", she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Copy that".

"Fine!", she said, bringing them back to the work.

"Arafura Sea. It's a classic area. The usual fishermen who try to fish in our waters. And the Fed's didn't mention an operation. Two weeks and here are your orders", she said, handing him a file.

He nodded, "Well, it's a piece of cake".

"Darling, don't do reckless things to prove yourself. I know you can", added Kate, concerned.

He winked at her, "You don't have to worry, sweetie. Your only concern is to store your stuff in the house".

She rolled her eyes, "That will be my weekend job".

The next two weeks passed extremely quickly for Kate, packing, moving boxes, unpacking and tidying up as well as she could.

The last Monday, she was waiting for the coffee machine in her office to be ready to make her a cup of the precious liquid. She was staring blankly at the machine, her fingers tapping on the cupboard. Kate didn't know anyone was watching her.

"You look tired", the person said.

"Oh Gosh! Becca, you scared me. I almost dropped my cup on the ground", Kate replied with a hand on her heart.

"Is your conscience bothering you?", she asked grinning.

"No. it's just… do you want a cup too?", Kate asked.

"Hmm, yeah, an espresso will do", Rebecca answered.

"You're right, I'm not relaxed. It was a busy weekend", Kate said, putting another cup in the machine and adding a coffee pod.

"Oh? What did you do?".

Kate smiled broadly, "Dylan and I are together now. Last weekend, I moved all our things to his house and rearranged everything. An empty house would have been easier, now all his things are there too".

"Really? Oh that's great! I'm happy for you!", Rebecca exclaimed as she hugged Kate.

"Thank you, but Becca, we're still at the office", Kate mumbled.

"Yeah, so what? This uniform is not going to stop me from giving a hug to those who deserve it!", she said.

"Since when?"

Kate handed her the espresso, "Since last weekend. We spent the weekend at his and decided to move on".

"Nice! And what does Duncan say?"

"Oh, he's on cloud nine".

"Uh, do they already know? You know, father, son", Rebecca asked.

"Uh, no not yet. I haven't told Dylan yet. It would have seemed like an argument to move on", Kate replied, fiddling with her cup.

"Watch out with that cup or you'll get stained", Rebecca said pointing to the cup.

Kate grimaced, "Yeah, you're right".

"I wouldn't wait too long to tell Dylan, or he'll doubt honesty, you know. Men don't like a truth that is long overdue".

Kate nodded, "Especially Dylan. I plan to tell him next weekend. It's going to be our first weekend really together".

"That's a good idea! Have you heard from Nikki lately?"

"Yes, I have. She's fine. She'll be back soon".

"Back to Hammersley as CO?"

Kate took off her spectacles and rubbed her face, "I don't know yet. Let's say, I'm working on it", she said, and put them back on.

Hammersley's return had been delayed by an unexpected mayday call which turned out to be a tow to the base. So, it was after the office hours that the ship arrived. It was already dark when Dylan arrived home. He smiled when he saw light inside, something new to him. When he entered, he was greeted by music and the smell of a dish simmering in the kitchen. He smiled broadly when Kate appeared to greet him, an apron around her waist.

"Hey darling, I'm glad you're here", she said and kissed him.

"It's…it's amazing", he said looking around the living room, seeing the standard lamps on.

He smiled seeing some Post-it notes on the table.

She'll never change!

"And it smells good. What do we eat?"

"Chicken curry with pineapple and rice", she said.

He cupped her face and kissed her, "I never had such a welcome. The house comes alive! It's just awesome. Sweetie, give me a minute. I'll have a quick shower and I'm all yours", he said.

"In the meantime, the meal will be ready. I'll pour you a glass of Chardonnay", she said.

"Dutchy!", Duncan yelled, rushing to greet his tall friend.

"Hey buddy. How are you?", he asked, patting him on the back.

Later that evening, he had put his arm around her and both were enjoying a cup of coffee on the living room couch. Kate put her cup down and looked at him.

"What do you think of the decoration? I rearranged the library a bit. I also wanted to put my books. But there are still a few items I want to discuss with you. You know, where to put them, for example".

He squeezed her shoulder, "Sweetie, it's fine. Just great".

"Okay, thank you".

"Uh, darling, did you ever think about the night after my wedding?"

"Oh yes, I did. I remember I was sitting at the bar, completely pissed off at myself, because I hadn't had the courage to fight for you. Becca showed up, completely upset. She told me what happened and that you left the party. She freaked out at the thought that something might happen to you. I remember I left immediately, and that's it. From there, it's the black hole. The only thing I remember is waking up on the beach with sand all over my clothes".

"Did you tell anyone?"

"I saw Becca now and then and she always invited me to dinner at hers. Once I told her. And you? Can you remember what happened?"

Kate shrugged, "I woke up in a motel and the weirdest thing was that I also had sand all over my clothes. Although I tried, I can't remember anything. I was so humiliated, disappointed and furious that I got blind drunk. God only knows what I did that night! But, it was Becca who gave me a hint. She knew your story and mine. She drew the connection and came to a conclusion", she said, looking at him.

He raised his eyebrows, "No?"

"Darling, it's the only logical explanation. You went in search of me. If you hadn't found me, you probably would have returned to the party to tell Becca. Instead, you woke up on the beach. We had to stay together that night and do more than talk and drink", she said.

He rubbed his face, "Jeez!"

"It was you, not him", she said deadpan and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

A grin spread across his face, "You have a preference for the beach, don't you?"

"Huh? Why?".

"Well, after your first encounter with Nikki, when you lost your battle with alcohol and I took you home. Along the way, you wanted to make love on the beach or to use your words, you wanted to…", he said with a cheeky smile, but she cut him off.

She raised her hand, "No, no! I don't want to hear that anymore".

He mouthed the word 'shag' and got a slap on the thigh in return, making him grinning.

Suddenly everything became clear to him and he shook his head. "Pfft! Duncan, my son! Jeez! I need a drink now", he said, standing up. He went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whisky. He took a few sips and sat down again.

"And?", Kate asked prudently, frightened by his coming reaction. Anger, ignorance, happiness? She hoped for the latter, but feared it might be one of the first. And then she could lose him and her dream would be shattered.

"It's uh… I uh… It's weird. I had sex with the most fantastic woman I know and I can't even remember! What a pity! And after twelve years, you come back, you're still single, we start a relationship and I find out that we share a child. Too much information at once.

She looked at him with a heavy heart. She could guess in what he had just said, what it was going to be. "Are…are you….angry….now?"

He looked at her for a moment and her heart skipped a beat, "Silly, how can I be mad at you? You're the most amazing woman I know", he said, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her head.

"I'm just wondering why you didn't say anything earlier".

"I…I didn't know. I was plastered. At first, I thought nothing had happened, but after a few weeks I started feeling nauseous and my periods stopped. The doctor told me about Duncan, and I can guarantee you that at that time, it was as if the earth had opened under my feet. Since then, I rack my brains to remember something, but in vain. We have to thank Becca. She drew the connection and gave me a hint", she said.

"Hmm, that makes sense", he mused.

"Ever since Becca told me, I've been watching Duncan more intensely and I have to say he has something of you too. Your height, something in his face and your hair".

He fingered her hair, "You're blond too".

"Okay, one thing in common. He sure doesn't have black hair, does he?", she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-hu", he mumbled as he stood up. "Wait a minute".

"Where are you going to?"

"His room", he said and went upstairs followed by Kate.

He carefully opened the door and watched the sleeping boy. Kate peered from behind his shoulder. He nodded, smiling and closed the door carefully. She looked up at him.

He stroke her cheek, "I wanted to see him in another light".

"She also nodded, "Yeah, I understand".

They went back down and started to collect the empty cups.

"When are you going to tell him?", he asked.

She shrugged, "He likes you, but I don't know how he's going to react when he finds out you're his father".

"Let's not wait too long, he will never accept that", he said.

"Yeah, tomorrow morning?".

"Sounds like a good plan", he said, hugging her.

The next morning, the three of them sat down to have breakfast. Kate served coffee for her and Dylan and orange juice for Duncan. They toasted the slices of bread and when the toasts were on the plates, Kate thought it was the right moment to broach the subject. "Duncan, we have to tell you something", she started.

"Yes mum?"

"You know I didn't know who your father was. Well, the situation wasn't one to be proud of, but meanwhile I found out who it was", she said, looking at her son.

The boy's attention was immediately caught and he looked at his mother with raised eyebrows.

"It's…uh…Uncle Dutchy. He found me on that miserable night and we apparently did something more and nine months later you were there. So Dylan is your father", she said and watched him.

"Ah? Okay", was the only thing the boy said and looked sheepishly at Dylan, his mate, his hero.

"You can call me whatever you want mate, I don't mind. You have to feel comfortable", Dylan said.

The boy nodded, "Yeah, okay. I'll see", he said unsure.

Breakfast passed quietly and afterwards, as Dylan and Kate were in the kitchen, she turned to him, "That went well, huh?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but he didn't say much."

"Yeah, I know, but remember, it's a hell of load of information. We moved to Cairns, Navy flat, then we decided to move on. Moving to his big friend's house and in the end it turned out that his big friend is his father. For less you'd be a bit quiet, wouldn't you? But no worries, I know him, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he'll come back and will call you dad when you least expect it", she said.

"Uh-hu. I'll take him to see the horses today. That will already smooth things over", he said.

Kate nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea".

When Dylan and Duncan were in the box stall of Duncan's favourite horse, he disconcerted Dylan with a question, "How does it feel to have a son?"

Dylan was flabbergasted for a moment, "Well, that's great. It's nice to have a mate", he said and was surprised that his answer matched his feelings.

"And how does it feel to have a father?", he retorted to the question.

"It seems normal. At school, I'm tired of saying I don't know my father and also tired of being taunted with assumptions about who my father might be. It's also better for mum. Now she has someone she can share her feelings with. We're complete", the boy said and Dylan was again surprised to hear such a grown-up answer from him.

"Yeah, you're right", he said.

The subject was closed.

But, a little later, Duncan asked completely out of the blue, "Dad, when are you going to marry mum?"

Dylan nearly replied, "I beg your pardon?", but he narrowly held back his words. He also realised that the boy had called him dad! It was probably a test to see how he would react if called that.

"It will come mate. We're taking it slow", he replied.

"Uh-hu", the boy mumbled.

He had to tell Kate that Duncan had called him dad, but not yet about the marriage question. It had already gone incredibly fast and he still had to adjust to the new situation. It was only the second day with the family in his house. The first family since he left his parent's house. Maybe he was still too fragile to rush things and screw up. No, slowly but surely. Not years, but a few months. This will give them time to get to know each other!

To be continued