Chapter 46 Found Family
Found family
The kitchen smells like rosemary and garlic and something sweet baking in the oven.
Nicole is slicing something on the wooden chopping board, and Jill stands beside her, mixing sauce in a ceramic bowl that looks older than both of us.
“This was my mum’s,” Jill says, catching me eyeing it. She smiles as she stirs. “Still works better than half the fancy ones you get now. Heavy as sin, though.”
“I love it,” I say, and I mean it. There’s something about being in here with them—like I’ve stepped into the heart of someone else’s memory and been allowed to stay.
“You any good in the kitchen?” Nicole teases, nudging my arm with her elbow.
“I actually love to cook.” I admit, grinning. “My Mum taught me everything she knew.”
Jill laughs. “I love that. I couldn’t convince Lucas to care about cooking growing up. He once tried to make scrambled eggs and lit them on fire”
“He what?” I laugh, wide-eyed.
Nicole snorts. “He panicked and threw it in the sink, turned on the tap. The fire went out. Along with all the pipes. Dad had to replace the whole thing.”
“I’m never letting him live that down.” I laugh, then go a little more serious. “To be fair, he cooks amazing eggs now. You’ve really raised a great man Jill,” I say, my eyes shining.
Jill gives me a long, soft look, then reaches out and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear like she’s done it a thousand times. “Thank you Camille.” She smiles even wider. “I’m so glad you came.”
Something catches in my throat. I look away, trying not to blink too fast. She reminds me so much of my Mum, of how things could be with her if she were still here.
“Me too. I lost my Mum when I was young, so it’s nice being here. Feeling a part of a family like this.” I say quietly, unsure why it comes out now, but it does. “My Mum loved cooking too. Her aprons always smelled like vanilla.” I smile.
Jill’s hand slides into mine and squeezes. Not too much. Just enough.
“You remind me of her,” I add, not quite looking at her. “Not in how you look—just… the way you are.”
Her voice goes gentle. “Then I’m honored. And if you ever need any motherly advice, I’m always here Camille.”
The tears threaten, but I smile through them. “I might take you up on that.”
Nicole, sensing the shift, grins and waves a bunch of rosemary like a wand. “No tears, ladies. This herb will not chop itself.”
“Smells like Sunday lunch at Nan’s,” she adds, inhaling. “She used to stick rosemary in everything. Even dessert once.”
“Oh no.” I grimace. “Rosemary cake?”
“She called it ‘rustic.’ We called it a crime.”
Jill snorts. “Don’t let her fool you, Camille. Nicole ate three slices.”
Nicole gasps, hand to chest. “Betrayed by my own mother.”
I laugh, slicing at the board beside them. “I think food tastes better when there’s a story behind it.”
Jill nods thoughtfully. “Food is memory. It’s love. And when you cook for someone, you’re giving them a piece of your story, even if it’s just a simple sauce.”
“I like that,” I say. “I think that’s why I love it so much. Cooking was a place Mum and I always connected—no matter what else was going on.”
Nicole glances over and nudges my shoulder gently. “You’re gonna make us cry before dinner.”
“Too late,” Jill whispers, dabbing her eye. “You’ve already got me, sweetheart.”
I spot the picture sitting on the wall in the living room. It’s a family portrait. Jill notices me looking.
“It was our last family photo. David wanted to do it before… Um, Has Lucas talked to you about his dad?”
“He told me what happened. He hasn’t told me too much though. Would you feel comfortable telling me about him?” I ask her.
“Of course. I love talking about David. He was the love of my life. It was love at first sight, we met just out of school.” She smiles, her eyes glossy.
“My life will never feel right without him in it, but my kids keep me going. Actually, Lucas is a lot like David. He could be quiet and broody, but most of the time he was a jokester. He just liked to make everyone around him happy, trying to make them laugh or smile. He would do anything for the people he loved. He was so patient, caring, romantic and he was an amazing father to the kids. He would have liked you. I just know it.”
“I think I would have really liked him too. I’ll need to make sure I ask Lucas about him more often.”
“It’s important to talk about the ones we’ve lost.” She smiles. “Here darling, can you cut this up for me?” As she passes me the garlic. “Darn stuff always makes my eyes water.”
Just then, my phone buzzes on the counter. I glance down and see a text from Dad.
Dad: Got a place in Coevey. Should be back in a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to see you bug x
My heart twists. I stare at the message for a long moment, then lock the screen and slide the phone face-down.
“Everything okay?” Nicole asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “Just my dad. He got a place in Coevey Bay.”
“You thinking of moving in with him?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, softly. “I thought I would. But now… I’m not sure anymore.”
Jill glances over from the sink where she’s rinsing off a pan. “You don’t have to know just yet,” she says gently. “Sometimes the heart takes its time making up its mind. But whatever you decide… don’t choose out of guilt. Choose what feels right.”
Before anything more can be said, Lucas’s voice drifts in from outside. “Dinner’s ready!”
We carry dishes out to the long wooden table under the patio lights. The sun’s nearly gone now, the fire pit casting a warm flicker across everyone’s faces.
That’s when I meet Patrick—Lucas’s older brother.
He walks over still wearing his Akubra hat.
He looks a bit like Lucas, except his hair is a bit longer, messier and he has a beard, his eyes are more hazel than green.
Patrick actually looks a lot like their father did, whereas Lucas is more a kin to his Mum.
He gives me a nod and a quiet “How ya goin’?” Then returns to loading his plate.
“Patrick’s a man of few words,” Lucas whispers in my ear as we sit down beside each other.
Dinner is loud and full of easy laughter. Jill tells stories about Lucas’s childhood—how he once used an entire bottle of shampoo trying to “make potions,” or how he cried when they ran out of hot cross buns and blamed the Easter Bunny.
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Lucas grumbles through a mouthful of potato salad.
“I am,” Jill says sweetly. “I’m just also a woman who believes in historical accuracy.” I nearly choke on my drink laughing. Everything is delicious—perfectly tender meat, crispy potatoes, steamed vegetables and a fresh salad with a tangy dressing. I can’t stop smiling.
After dinner, we all pitch in to clean. Lucas and Patrick tackle the table, Jill and I do the dishes, and Nicole hums softly as she wraps up leftovers.
The water is warm, and the room is full of the clink of plates and the quiet hum of togetherness.
Jill passes me a plate, her hands wrinkled from the water, and I dry it with a soft cloth that smells faintly of lemon.
“You’re good for him, you know?” she says gently, not looking at me right away.
I pause, fingers tightening around the plate. “Lucas?”
She nods. “I haven’t seen him this happy in years. He’s always been good at taking care of others, carrying things quietly… but around you? He laughs more. He smiles in that real way, not the polite kind he gives everyone else.”
I swallow the lump rising in my throat. “He makes me feel that way too. The way he’s patient with me. The way he makes me laugh when I forget how. The way he makes everything easier.”
Jill finally looks at me, her gaze kind and unwavering. “That’s how you know it’s something good. The way you see him. The way he sees you. That kind of recognition… it’s rare.”
I don’t have words at first. Just a soft, tearful smile. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve all of it.”
“Darling,” Jill says, placing a warm hand over mine. “You do. We all do. It just takes a little longer for some of us to believe it.”
I nod, blinking quickly. “Thank you. It’s something I’m still learning how to let in.”
She squeezes my hand and smiles, her voice full of quiet certainty. “You’ll get there, Darling. One day you’ll look around and realise you already have.”
When it’s finally time to leave, Lucas grabs the keys to the car. He hugs Jill and Nicole goodbye and shakes Patrick’s hand with a nod. Jill gives me one more long hug.
“Come by again soon,” she says.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For everything.”
The car ride home is quiet at first. Comfortable.
I look out the window, hands in my lap, heart still full. Then Lucas speaks.
“So, what did you think?”
“I love them Lucas. They’re amazing. Really. The farm is beautiful too. The house? Stunning.”
“I could tell they loved you too. You really fit in.” He smiles.
“Your mum and I, we talked about your dad. I saw your family picture and your mum told me about him. I hope you know you can talk about him whenever you like. I can understand what you went through. The pain of losing someone, it never leaves.” I reach my hand and place it on his thigh.
“Anyways, what she said about him. He sounded like a great man. I’m really sorry you lost him Lucas. ”
“He was. Thank you. Mum went through a really hard time when he first passed. It was hard when he was sick, it devastated her but it kept her busy. Fussing over him all the time, he let her do it because he thought it helped her deal. But once he was gone, she was a mess. We all were. But that was her best friend. They were so in love. I swear she didn’t leave her room for a whole week.
That’s when Nicole moved back home. It helped.
I don’t think Mum is ever going to let her move back out though. ” He laughs a bit.
“Thank you for taking me out there. And sharing everything about your family.”
“Thanks for coming.” He pauses for a bit. “So, um. Danielle’s leaving soon, right?”
I nod. “She is.”
He takes a breath. “You know. You could stay. At home. With me?”
I turn to him slowly. He keeps his eyes on the road.
“I don’t want to pressure you,” he says quickly. “I just… I want you to know I’m in this. With you. However you want to do it. Whatever speed you need. I’m not going anywhere.” The words hit me like sunlight after a storm. I feel them land in all the tender places. I wasn’t expecting it.
“You don’t have to say anything yet,” he adds. “I just needed you to know.” I don’t say anything. I can’t. My throat is thick with something I can’t name. I’m afraid if I speak now I might cry. I slide my fingers through his. The silence between us is not empty, it’s full of something unspoken.
When we pull into the driveway, he kills the engine and turns to me.
“I meant it,” he says. “You can stay. For as long as you want.”
I nod. “Okay, I’ll think about it. My dad will be back soon Lucas. I don’t know what to do. I’ll talk to him.”
“Just think about it and let me know.” We go inside, silence filling the space.
We go through the motions of getting ready for bed, me in his bed just like every night this week. His arms come around me like they’ve always belonged there.
As I close my eyes, my heart thuds hard in my chest—not from fear, but from the terrifying beauty of what this could be.
I want to give this a go. With him.
I think I might even be in love with him.
But I’ve been hurt and I’m still healing.
So I keep the words inside, press my face into his chest, and let the night take me.
Conflicted. Loved. Home.