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shrugged. ‘I read an article about it.’
    That still didn’t answer the ‘why’ part. ‘Well, Phee, I’m not drinking, smoking or using any illicit substances,’ said Gemma. ‘So if you’re going to take peanut butter away from me as well . . .’
    Phoebe was already at the pantry door. ‘Say no more.’ A few moments later she popped a funky resin platter on the table infront of Gemma, on which she had artfully arranged a few slices of bread, a small pot of peanut butter, a matching resin-handled spreading knife, and a tiny bunch of grapes with a couple of fresh figs for garnish. It was very Martha Stewart, and not a little disturbing. The bread of course was some kind of weird brown loaf impregnated with birdseed, when Gemma craved the soft white artificial stuff. But she wasn’t about to risk another lecture from Phoebe about the possible harm she might be doing to her unborn peanut.
    â€˜So,’ said Phoebe, taking the Turkish-bread installation back to the kitchen, ‘I take it Mum and Dad don’t know yet?’
    â€˜Don’t you think you would have heard by now if they did?’
    â€˜That’s an understatement.’
    â€˜I was going to tell them when I was down for Dad’s birthday, but when Luke didn’t come I chickened out.’
    â€˜That’s why you were so subdued that weekend,’ Phoebe mused as she busied herself making the tea.
    â€˜Yeah, and I didn’t even know he was planning his great escape at the time.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜I mean, he took off while I was in Sydney.’
    Phoebe frowned. ‘What, just like that? Where did he go?’
    â€˜Don’t ask me,’ said Gemma. ‘I haven’t heard from him since.’
    â€˜But what was the last thing he said to you?’
    â€˜I believe it was something along the lines of “I won’t be able to pick you up from the airport, babe ”,’ Gemma said wryly.
    Phoebe carried a tray with a teapot and cups over to the table. ‘Hold on, I’m not getting this . . .’
    â€˜No kidding. Phee, he just took off. He disappeared. When I got back from Sydney all his stuff was gone. He didn’t tell me anything, he didn’t tell them at work, he just left.’
    Phoebe was staring at her in disbelief. ‘Bastard.’
    â€˜Yeah, well, they seem to be drawn to me.’
    â€˜But someone can’t just vanish into thin air like that.’
    â€˜Apparently they can. His mobile went out of service completely after a few days; I wouldn’t be surprised if he tossed it. I called around, but we didn’t know that many people in Brisbane and no one had seen him or heard from him. If they had, theyweren’t telling me. I got in touch with some of his old friends here in Sydney as well, but they claimed they hadn’t heard anything either.’
    â€˜So where do you think he could be?’
    Gemma shrugged. ‘At first I thought he might have gone through with our original plan and travelled further north looking for work. So I called every resort listed, and all the islands, but no one had heard of him. I realised after a while that he was long gone, and there was no reason for me to stay up there on my own. Besides, I couldn’t make the rent. I had no choice but to come back.’
    Phoebe was pouring the tea, mulling it all over. ‘I thought you said everything was going great with you two?’
    â€˜I thought it was,’ said Gemma. ‘But I can see now, in hindsight, he’d been pretty twitchy ever since I found out I was pregnant.’ But of course in true Gemma style she had ignored that and carried on regardless. God, she was an idiot sometimes. ‘Anyway, clearly I’m better off without him.’
    â€˜Better off without a father for your baby?’
    â€˜Phee, he was hardly “father of the year” material. Like you said,