Jodi looked at him. "I need you to help me tell Mum something."
A thousand paternal fears crossed his mind. "Uh, yeah, sure."
She turned to face him. "I feel really bad for Claire and Alex, I know this is probably the worst time to think about this, I'm scared it makes me like Dad."
"But you're thinking about leaving again." He knew her, probably better than Kevin, and he could tell she still wasn't happy there, although he and her mother both loved the country.
Jodi nodded. "Everything's all set. I just...I know this is a bad time to even think about doing a runner on the place. And it's not that I don't care about what happened. Claire's like having a second mum, I love you guys, I like Drover's, but...I've never been happy here."
"I know that, Jod." He paused. "You know, this is really something you should be talking over with your mum."
"I'm scared how she'll take it. I know you won't tell her for me, will you?" He shook his head, not about to get in between them. "But would you at least be here?"
"Sure. I can swing that." She smiled at him.
Meg finished cleaning up from dinner and walked down to her family. Jodi looked at Terry and he sat there, knowing Meg wasn't going to take it well, but knowing it'd been coming for years. "Mum...Terry and I were talking." She flipped some of her hair back. "Well, I finally got enough money to move to the city and I talked to Tess's friend."
"The girl or the boy?" Meg asked dryly, knowing what was coming.
"Briorny. She said I can have a job at the cafe and she's looking for a roommate."
Meg took a breath. "And what would you do then?"
"I don't know. It wouldn't be here."
"Jodi, this isn't a game. It's not like when you went to Italy. You'll have to work, hard, just to pay the rent, not to mention food, utilities..."
"I know, Mum. I've been saving for months. I'll work at the cafe. A friend from school thinks there's a job that'll be perfect for me...fashion."
Meg took a breath and slowly let it out, knowing she wouldn't change her daughter's mind. She always knew this conversation would come up again. She'd been putting her off for years already. "When would you leave?"
"Day after we get back." She paused. "I feel awful leaving now, but Claire's got Stevie, you, and Tess for the livestock...Alex for the horses. I'll stay if she needs..."
Meg knew that, even if Claire did need her, she wouldn't say so. "Well, I guess there's nothing I can do to make you stay." She hugged her daughter, holding on like she wouldn't let go.
"Mum."
Meg let her go. "Yeah, right." Jodi smiled at her and walked away. "She'll be okay."
"She'll be fine," Terry told her, giving her a hug.
"I knew this was going to happen one day. She doesn't like being the youngest one, not having Becky." Although Claire and Tess weren't old, they weren't twenty anymore either. Tess had a steady boyfriend, spending what time she wasn't at Drover's at Wilgul, and Claire was almost married with two children. Becky had been closest to her age and, when she left with Jake, well, it wasn't fair to ask Jodi to stay where she'd never liked before.
"You'll be okay, love." Terry kissed her temple and she smiled at him, needing his reassurance, feeling very old, another step closer to losing her daughter.
Jodi walked over to where Nick was sitting, Alex talking to Stevie, Harry with Sandra. "You told her?" Nick asked as she sat down beside him.
"Yeah. She took it okay. I still feel bad about leaving Claire."
"You're not your dad, Jodi. You care about Claire and it shows. She'll know it's a good opportunity for you. What you always wanted."
"Thank you for helping me. Tess too."
"The cafe needs a waitress and Briorny needs a roommate. You want to move to the city. Helps everyone out." He took a sip of his water. "How is your mum taking it?"
"Treating me like a baby, but at least she didn't argue with me going."
"She loves you. It's good to have so many people who care about you."
She paused, making a big sacrifice. "I've been meaning to tell you...I'm happy for you and Tess. Congratulations."
He turned his head to look at her, a smile crossing his face. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, if we weren't going to work out..." It had gotten to the point where she could joke about it now.
"Hey, Jodi?" She looked at him. "Thanks." To be so young, she'd been a good friend after Sally left, when he was so terrified about Tess, and when they'd all dealt in their own ways with Claire's wreck.
"Yeah. Night."
"Night." He joined his brother and Stevie.