Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Kim
Kim parks her car outside Shirley and Paul’s house. The car has barely halted before Bella is pushing open the door, keen to see her sister.
Kim grabs Bella’s overnight bag and joins her daughter on the path.
The previous time Kim came here, she was too nervous to take note of the house, but this time she looks around.
Shirley and Paul’s house is gorgeous, as you’d expect a real estate agent’s house to be—although would that be like expecting a dentist to have perfect teeth?
—with a winding path through a native garden to the front door.
Kim assesses it, thinking of Danika looking for real estate.
The door flies open, and Cami runs out. Shirley appears in the doorway.
As the girls greet each other, Shirley steps forward. “Welcome, Kim. I’m so happy to see you again.” She kisses Kim’s cheek.
The girls disappear inside the house.
“Thank you for taking Bella tonight,” Kim says. She hands Shirley a container of brownies. “This is a small contribution.”
“That’s kind of you.” Shirley takes them. “Danika’s inside. But while it’s just us, she’s told Paul and me about your agreement. We think it’s a wonderful idea. She’s also told us about your relationship.” A wide smile. “That is even more wonderful.”
The approval isn’t necessary, but Kim welcomes it. “Thank you. We’re very happy.”
“I’m sure you are.” Shirley squeezes her arm. “Danika says you’ll both come around sometime tomorrow morning to pick up the kids. That’s fine with us. Take longer if you want. Paul suggested we take them on the Puffing Billy steam train. Cami loves that.”
“Bella’s never been. That would be lovely, but can we let you know in the morning?” She doesn’t want to presume it’s what Danika will want as well.
“Of course.”
They enter the house and into the open-plan living area. In the modern kitchen, Paul is preparing what looks like lasagne, while Danika tears lettuce for salad.
Paul holds up damp hands. “Hi Kim. Sorry, I can’t come and greet you. I need to get this assembled.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t come to you.” Kim walks around the counter, presses a kiss to his cheek, then turns to Danika. She’s already wiping her hands on a towel, so that when Kim kisses her—on the lips—her hands steal around Kim’s waist to pull her close.
The kiss is publicly acceptable—just—and when they break apart, both Shirley and Paul are smiling.
“Shall we go?” Danika says.
Kim nods, and they go find the girls, who are in one of the bedrooms. It’s obviously a room Cami stays in often. There are twin beds with green quilts, and posters of the Matildas on the wall. Kim recognises Cami’s favourite, Kyra Cooney-Cross, as well as Bella’s hero, Mary Fowler.
“We’re off now,” Kim says. “Have fun, be respectful of Shirley and Paul, and eat your veggies.”
Bella grins and wiggles her loose tooth with her tongue. “What if my tooth falls out? Will the tooth fairy know how to find me?”
“If she doesn’t, bring your tooth home. She’ll find you at home for sure.”
Bella hugs her. “Bye, Mummy. Have fun on your date.”
Date. She’d told Bella she and Danika were on a date.
“Mummy says you’re staying at our house,” Cami says from where she sits cross-legged on the bed. “You can sleep in my room if you want.”
“That’s nice of you, Cami. Thank you.” She suppresses a smile.
Kim and Danika drive in their separate cars to Danika’s house. Kim walks up the brick path, through the overgrown grevillea to the blue front door with the worn paint where small hands have pushed it open.
She knows the house well now, but this time, she’s coming in on a different basis.
This time she’s staying over. She walks down the hall behind Danika, who stops by her bedroom door.
“You can leave your bag in my room.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“I heard what Cami said. You better have a solid reason why you didn’t sleep in her bed. ”
“Can I tell her the real reason?”
Danika thinks. “Yes, why not? We can just say you slept in my bed. That’s all that’s needed.”
“Will we do much sleeping?”
Danika hums. “Hopefully not.” She leads the way to the kitchen. “You know, we never figured out what we’re going to do on this date.”
“I leave that up to you. This is your area.”
“There’s not the choice you have. There’s a wine café, but it’s not as atmospheric as the one in St Kilda.
Or a Thai restaurant that’s nice. You can sit on floor cushions, although they’re not as comfortable as they look.
Or we could drive out to one of the pubs for a meal.
I haven’t cooked anything.” She grimaces. “Too busy tidying up.”
Kim sets her basket on the counter. “I brought wine. And I’m honestly happy whatever we do. I just want to spend time with you, and some of that time alone with you.”
Danika’s eyes sparkle. “Impatient.”
They decide to go for a drink and then consider the Thai restaurant.
It’s still early, so the pub is fairly quiet.
They order wine and sit outside at one of the tall tables.
Kim looks around. It’s a different demographic to St Kilda.
More families, fewer singles and couples with no kids.
The pub is on a side street, directly across from the Thai place, and borders a park that is more natural bushland and less manicured grass and swing sets.
Less inner-city funkiness, more outer urban space.
She tries to imagine herself living somewhere like this—somewhere she never thought she would.
She’s always loved the inner city, and St Kilda is inner city with a beach, which truly is the best of everything.
But her apartment is small, it’s difficult to run her business from there, and the traffic will never improve.
She shakes herself back to the present, to Danika, sipping wine with sparkling eyes.
“Cami’s birthday is next week. She’s determined to hold me to my promise of a dog.
Tomorrow afternoon, we’re visiting a breeder who has a litter of dachshund puppies.
I’m not sure a dachshund is the best dog for Cami—I think something more energetic would be best. But she’s insisting we at least look. ”
“They’re cute though.”
“The real sticking point is selling the house. And where will we buy? What if we end up in a townhouse where you’re not allowed pets?”
“You wouldn’t,” Kim says with certainty. “And if you did, maybe Shirley and Paul would take the dog. At least Cami could see it then.”
“Maybe.” Danika takes a sip of her wine. “I’d ask you and Bella to come too to look at the pups, but honestly, I don’t think I could resist Cami and Bella begging for one.” She takes Kim’s hand and leans in. “I’d rather you begged me for…other things.”
“That can be arranged,” Kim says as a thrill courses through her body. Did she beg last time? She can’t remember. But she does remember Danika doing incredible things. “You know, for someone on their L plates for sex with a woman, you caught on very quickly.”
“L for lesbian,” Danika says, and her teeth flash in a grin. “When do I get my P plates?”
“I think you’ve skipped them. You can claim your full lesbian licence now.”
“Not strictly accurate, I think. Pansexual? Bisexual licence, maybe?” She nudges Kim. “Like you.”
“Like me, yes.” Kim drinks another mouthful of wine.
The desire for a proper date, with dinner, is fading.
What she wants now is to take Danika back to her house, and peel her silky top away from her body, kiss each exposed centimetre of skin, then start all over again when Danika’s bra goes the way of her blouse.
It’s taken them so long to get to this point, through the mishmash of antagonism, past the spectre of the man who stood between them.
She shakes her head slightly to cut Chris loose from her mind. He does not belong with them, nor between them. His place now is only as the father of their children. Kim won’t demonise him to Bella or Cami—indeed, he was a good father, a loving one—but for her and Danika, he’s history.
Although it’s still early, the Thai restaurant is busy. A large gathering for dinner, maybe. As Kim watches, two more couples enter.
“I hope we can get a table,” she says.
Danika turns to see. “There’s always takeaway.” She pulls out her phone and scrolls to the food order app. “Hmmm. Wait time for takeaway is forty minutes.”
Kim takes the last mouthful of wine and leans over the table. “We could order now and go for a stroll while we wait. Or try somewhere else. I’m easy.”
“Or we could just go home, forage in the cupboards. I’m sure I’ve got cheese, crackers, falafels.” Danika looks across the road again. “I wanted our date to be perfect. Our first actual date date, where we both know what’s happening, where we’ll end up.”
Kim’s heart swells. “It is already perfect. I’m here with you. Honestly, if we sat in the middle of the roundabout and drank water, it would still be perfect. As long as I’m with you.”
“The traffic fumes would probably kill us,” Danika says. “But yes, being with you is all I need for a wonderful date.”
“Let’s order Thai, and go for a walk while we wait,” Kim says. “Show me your neighbourhood.”
“It’s not as eclectic as yours,” Danika says. “It’s just suburban and green. Houses with yards. Some even have fences.” She passes across the app. “Pick what you want.”
Together, they order spring rolls, green curry tofu, and a veggie stir-fry, then leave the pub. Kim takes Danika’s hand as they stroll along the street. A mishmash of small shops jostle for space alongside the supermarkets and discount stores.
Danika pauses at a bakery that sells baked dog treats. “Cami has decided this is where she and her future dog will come on Saturday mornings before soccer. At least her hobby horse doesn’t eat much.”