A/N: I'm sorry if it's been so long to update and if this is a short chapter. I'm very busy at the moment, so please be patient.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Max knelt down in front of Colleen's grave and gently put the pot of flowers down.
" Hi Colleen," he greeted his dear old friend. This was his second visit to her grave and it was helping him overcome his sudden grief.
" I miss you. I miss the talks we used to have when I was a kid. You were like a grandmother to me, one I never had. You stuck by me too, no matter what."
" Well, goodbye then." He turned to leave, when he heard a voice call his name: " Max." he turned around, but no one was there. Spooked, he hurried out of the cemetery and went to the Summer Bay caravan park to meet his wife and daughter.
" Hi guys!" Max waved his to small family as they climbed out of the station wagon. His twelve-year-old daughter jumped out of the backseat and ran to hug her father.
" Hi Dad," she greeted him, grinning up at him. She had her father's face, but her mother's long brown hair and brown eyes.
" We drove through the Bay-it's changed a lot." Tamara said to Max, " It's so sad."
" We all know who to thank for that." Max replied looking angry, " If I ever see Josh West again, I'll punch his living daylights out."
Joanna stared at her father, " You wouldn't, would you Dad?"
" Not really," Max admitted, " it's just a figure of speech honey."
Joanna looked relieved. She was a quiet, gentle girl and hated arguments and violence of any sort.
" At least the caravan park and your old house are still standing." Tamara pointed out.
" Let's go and see Jade." Max suggested, " She married Nick Smith and has three boys."
" Three must be quite the handful." Tamara commented and the trio walked up to the front door and knocked.
A tall, blonde boy with blue eyes answered their knock. He looked familiar-apart from looking like his dad. The boy's eyes went wide and he seemed to recognise Max.
" It's you." He greeted him, " What are you doing here?"
Max realised this was the boy who had been harassing Noah. Max was related to this wayward thirteen year old?
" I'm here to see your mother." Max told him, " is she in?" and the boy looked wary.
" Yeah she's in." the boy stepped aside, " If it's about earlier, I'm sorry man. But that homeless bum was kind of asking for it you know?"
" No, I don't know. Noah Lawson used to be a respected citizen when I was twelve. You should respect your elders kid."
" My name is Thomas." The boy snapped at him and went to find Jade.
" He's got some attitude." Tamara commented, wrinkling her nose in disgust,
" I hope Jade's other sons aren't like him."
" They aren't." Max assured her and Thomas returned with Jade.
" Tamara! Its so nice to see you," his tall blonde cousin greeted his wife, " And this must be Joanna."
" Hi." Joanna said, feeling unconformable. She always felt shy meeting new people.
" You're the spitting image of your dad." She grinned at Max, " You've done well Max."
" Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we have a family reunion?" Max suggested,
" All of the Sutherlands are invited, plus the locals too. We'll make it a big barbecue bash."
" Sounds great." Jade said happily, " Let's sit down and write down an invite list." She ushered Max and his family to the table and they began to talk about the upcoming Summer Bay reunion.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Max knelt down in front of Colleen's grave and gently put the pot of flowers down.
" Hi Colleen," he greeted his dear old friend. This was his second visit to her grave and it was helping him overcome his sudden grief.
" I miss you. I miss the talks we used to have when I was a kid. You were like a grandmother to me, one I never had. You stuck by me too, no matter what."
" Well, goodbye then." He turned to leave, when he heard a voice call his name: " Max." he turned around, but no one was there. Spooked, he hurried out of the cemetery and went to the Summer Bay caravan park to meet his wife and daughter.
" Hi guys!" Max waved his to small family as they climbed out of the station wagon. His twelve-year-old daughter jumped out of the backseat and ran to hug her father.
" Hi Dad," she greeted him, grinning up at him. She had her father's face, but her mother's long brown hair and brown eyes.
" We drove through the Bay-it's changed a lot." Tamara said to Max, " It's so sad."
" We all know who to thank for that." Max replied looking angry, " If I ever see Josh West again, I'll punch his living daylights out."
Joanna stared at her father, " You wouldn't, would you Dad?"
" Not really," Max admitted, " it's just a figure of speech honey."
Joanna looked relieved. She was a quiet, gentle girl and hated arguments and violence of any sort.
" At least the caravan park and your old house are still standing." Tamara pointed out.
" Let's go and see Jade." Max suggested, " She married Nick Smith and has three boys."
" Three must be quite the handful." Tamara commented and the trio walked up to the front door and knocked.
A tall, blonde boy with blue eyes answered their knock. He looked familiar-apart from looking like his dad. The boy's eyes went wide and he seemed to recognise Max.
" It's you." He greeted him, " What are you doing here?"
Max realised this was the boy who had been harassing Noah. Max was related to this wayward thirteen year old?
" I'm here to see your mother." Max told him, " is she in?" and the boy looked wary.
" Yeah she's in." the boy stepped aside, " If it's about earlier, I'm sorry man. But that homeless bum was kind of asking for it you know?"
" No, I don't know. Noah Lawson used to be a respected citizen when I was twelve. You should respect your elders kid."
" My name is Thomas." The boy snapped at him and went to find Jade.
" He's got some attitude." Tamara commented, wrinkling her nose in disgust,
" I hope Jade's other sons aren't like him."
" They aren't." Max assured her and Thomas returned with Jade.
" Tamara! Its so nice to see you," his tall blonde cousin greeted his wife, " And this must be Joanna."
" Hi." Joanna said, feeling unconformable. She always felt shy meeting new people.
" You're the spitting image of your dad." She grinned at Max, " You've done well Max."
" Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we have a family reunion?" Max suggested,
" All of the Sutherlands are invited, plus the locals too. We'll make it a big barbecue bash."
" Sounds great." Jade said happily, " Let's sit down and write down an invite list." She ushered Max and his family to the table and they began to talk about the upcoming Summer Bay reunion.