Part Six: Getting the post-hole digger

'You and Alex were very chummy last night.' Tess commented the following morning. 'Anything you want to tell me about? Like maybe some thoughts of getting back together again?'

Oh sure, Mum protested, but she wasn't going to any great lengths. Trying to cover up, she argued:

'I'm not a fan of going back into a failed relationship. Whatever problems were there before will still be there now.'

'Oh, rubbish, Claire. You don't believe that.'

'Yes I do!'

'Then where did Charlotte come from?'

Mum looked shocked. Clearly no-one had ever said that to her before, at least not to her face. She looked like she wanted to hit Tess, but I stepped in.

'Tess is right, Mum. You should go for it.' With both of us grinning our most persuasive cheesy grins, she couldn't help but laugh.

'You two.' She said fondly. 'You're too much like each other. I suppose I'm part of an elaborate scheme you've plotted in your spare time, am I right?'

'Spare time?' I hooted. 'Yeah, right.'

'I'm off to Wilgul!' Mum hollered, grabbing the keys to the old Merc. Tess and I looked at each other in astonishment. Was it possible?

'Just to grab the post-hole digger!' She added, giving herself an alibi. I smirked. Sure. Post digger, yeah right. Our perfectly healthy hole digger was sitting in the shed, gleaming after the cleaning I'd given it that very morning.

'Can I come?' Marion called out excitedly at the prospect of seeing her father. Tess looked up in alarm and I pinched my sister and gave her a good hard kick under the table in case there was any doubt of the message I was trying to get across.

'Never mind!' Marion said, giving me a pout-y look. 'Char-lotte!' she wailed when Mum had driven off. Her arms were folded across her chest crossly. She slammed her plate onto the table and her chair squeaked as she moved it back. I could hear her thundering up the stairs a moment later.

'Guess I'm making myself popular today.' I laughed. Tess smiled from where she was feeding Bianca.

'Well, I know someone who's glad to see you.' She handed the newborn across the kitchen. I took her in my arms happily, and settled back in my chair to coo at her.

Tess and I waited impatiently into the early hours of the afternoon. Three games of poker and a bottle of coke later, we were still waiting. For my mother. She had been at Wigul a very long time for someone who was just 'borrowing a piece of equipment'. Like, as in, the whole day. I was starting to smell a rat.

Finally a familiar boot kicked at the screen door, which flew off its hinges angrily. 'Oops!' Mum giggled and gave it a good thump, trying to push it back into place. It pushed back. Whack, push; whack, push. Shrug.

Tess and I watched as she faced us, her appearance dishevelled. Tess opened her eyes wide, noting the tussled hair, the lost buttons and the guilty look. I shuddered. I didn't want to know how that had happened!

'Did you get the post-hole digger? Charlotte and I have been waiting all day.' Tess commented sweetly. Mum just looked at her blankly.

'What?' Then it hit her. 'OH! Uh, no, I thought we'd be better off trying to fix ours.'

'Which, might I add, is perfectly fine.' I pointed out.

'Uh, right. Yep. Well, I'm off to have a shower. The uh, ute broke down and I had to fix it.' She nodded to herself, proud of her little story.

'Okay…' Tess said. 'Am I imagining things or did you drive off in the Merc this morning?'

Mum froze. 'Well, yes, it wasn't MY ute…obviously.' She laughed, blushing.

'Right.' Tess said dryly. Mum squirmed and tried to get out of the room.

'Oh, one other thing. You wouldn't happen to know where Alex is, would you? His phone has been engaged all day; I guess he must have it off the hook. I can't imagine why.' Tess looked carefully at my mother.

The look on her face said it all.

Busted.