Chapter 10 Jye
ten
Jye
When I woke on Christmas morning with Wynter in my arms, there was a sense of contentment inside that I’d never felt before.
I’d made love to her during the night, but it differed from the night before.
I knew it was too soon to use the “L” word for our relationship, but it was the only way I could describe what had transpired between us.
It wasn’t just sex; I was sure it was never just sex with us, but after our chat in the snow, making love was all I could call what we’d been doing.
I heard my phone on the nightstand and picked it up to see my mum’s name flashing with a video call coming through; I stood up before answering it so I wasn’t just laying in bed when I spoke to my whole family because no doubt, it would be my whole family on the other end of the call.
“Merry Christmas!” They cheered from behind Mum. She had a warm smile on her face.
“How was your first snowy Christmas?” she asked. I’d quickly let her know while I packed I was tagging along with Cam and Kayla on their trip. So much had happened in the days that had followed.
“It was unexpected,” was the only way I could think to summarise it.
“Oh, move out of the way, you fullas,” I heard my nan’s voice in the background. “I need to see my boy. Off all the way across the world and can’t even come home to see his Nan.”
Mum rolled her eyes at the camera before she handed the phone over. I watched as she fumbled with the device in her hand, covering the camera first with her thumb and then pointing directly at her chin before figuring out the right angle.
“There’s my boy. When are you coming home to see your Nan?” She gave me a pointed look. Funny she couldn’t figure out the phone to start the conversation, but she was fine when it came to giving me the eye.
“At the end of next season, I’m thinking of retiring.” I’d said the words without thinking, and I think they surprised me more than Nan. “I might go to uni or something, work in the community.”
“Kids can always use a good role model,” Nan replied. “So who’s the girl?”
“What girl?” I played dumb. I honestly couldn’t wait to tell my family about Wynter, but it was early, and I was happy to go at her pace. Plus, it might’ve been 4:00 p.m. in Gunnedah, but it was only 7:00am here, and I was sure Wynter was still sleeping off the previous night.
“When a man makes a decision that completely changes the direction of his life, there’s always a girl involved,” she nodded, sagely. “Besides, I know these things.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement.
Wynter was dressed in a soft pink shirt, her hair neatly pulled back from her face.
I indicated with my finger for her to come forward and sit with me if she wanted to.
Holding my phone in my left hand at an angle that only showed me and the mini kitchen in the background, Wynter slid in on my right.
“Nan, I’d like you to meet Wynter Heron,” I slipped my arm around her shoulders. “Wynter, this is my grandmother, Yvonne Wright.”
Wynter gave a wide smile at the introduction.
“So, you’re the fullback’s sister?” Nan asked, knowing that it was Kayla’s sister I was travelling with.
“Yes, my sister Kayla plays fullback for the Rebels,” she answered, politely.
“We’re big Rebels fans in my house, broke my heart that Jye never played for them.
” I cringed internally at that. I was a Rebels junior but Dad had negotiated a more lucrative deal for me at one of the other clubs he’d played for in the early 2000s.
“I like Kayla; she’s fast and has good hands. Are you a Sydney girl?”
“No, I live in Tamworth,” said with another wide smile.
“I suppose that means Jye’s gonna move up near there when he retires,” Nan mused out loud.
“Oh, Mum, give the girl a break and let me say hello,” Mum called out from offscreen.
“I’ll give you the phone when I’m good and ready,” Nan told her daughter. “Now Wynter, most people call me ‘Aunty Von’, you can call me ‘Nan’.”
“I would be honoured,” Wynter beamed back at the screen.
I hoped Nan hadn’t scared her off, but the contented look on her face and the way she leaned into me eased my nerves a little.
“Melinda, I’m ready now.” Nan handed the phone back to my mum.
“I’m sorry about that,” Mum said, looking a little frazzled.
“Don’t be sorry at all; I’m from a big family, so I understand,” Wynter reassured her.
I handed Wynter the phone so that she could talk to my mum and sat back, watching her face as they got to know each other.
I heard my drunk uncles in the background, still debating the NRL grand final result, months after the final whistle was blown.
It might be morning here in Switzerland, but back home it was late afternoon, and I bet they’d been drinking since lunch. I missed it.
Sitting here with Wynter, I was excited about the idea that she might be joining me with my family next Christmas.
I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but like I’d said to Wynter only days before, maybe fate or the universe or the ancestors, had a plan for us that both of us had been fighting.
I was ready to let them direct us where we were meant to go because my gut told me that we were meant to be together.