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I felt positive about the day ahead. I’d prepared pancakes for breakfast and was just sitting down when Rachel burst in through the back door.
     
    I got up to grab some more eggs from the fridge.
     
    ‘None for me, Ron, I can’t stay long.’
     
    ‘Hi, Rachel,’ I responded quietly.
     
    ‘Morning Aunty Wonnie.’
     
    That was Cloud, Rachel’s three-year-old. I have no words for how I feel about the name, but her father’s surname is Johnson, so I’d taken to calling her CJ.
     
    ‘CJ, aren’t you looking lovely today!’
     
    Cloud held her tiny fingers up to her wispy blonde hair. She was like a mini version of my big sister, all blonde hair and big blue eyes – heartbreakingly beautiful.
     
    ‘Would you like some breakfast with me?’
     
    My little niece nodded.
     
    ‘I assume that’s why you’re here with her then?’ I directed at Rachel, who was rearranging her own silky hair in the mirror.
     
    ‘Yeah, look, I have to shop and you know I hate to do that with her. I’ll only be an hour, I couldn’t get a sitter at such short notice.’
     
    ‘Did you try?’
     
    ‘Ha. Ronnie you’re so funny, but really, after not being here yesterday, you shouldn’t be difficult right now.’
     
    With that, she air kissed my cheek and her daughter’s and rushed back out the way she’d come. CJ sat down at the kitchen table and smiled up at me. She was shamelessly cute and really, I couldn’t resist her. My only hesitation was that I’d wanted to go into town and look for Kalen. I needed to be strong and find out what my dad was involved in. I quietly prayed it was nothing that would mar my opinion of him.
     
    I handed Cloud a plastic spoon and the pancakes I’d cut into small squares, with a side of defrosted raspberries, before sitting down in front of her with my own.
     
    She mumbled a thank you.
     
    ‘You’re welcome. What do you want to do today?’
     
    ‘Beesh?’
     
    ‘No sweetheart, the weather is no good for the beach, how about we do some painting inside where it’s warm?’ Cloud whooped with joy over the new idea and squishing raspberries into her mouth she flashed me a big red smile. Kalen can wait , I thought adamantly. An afternoon of riddles and answer swerving was not a priority over my family.
     
    Cloud and I spent the morning with our fingers in an array of paints I had laid out on our huge kitchen table. Once we had drawn several paintings of Mummy, Daddy and Scat the cat – who was the cat Cloud wanted, not one she owned; Rachel would rather die than have pet hair anywhere near her – it was already midday. I began clearing away the brushes and splattered newspaper until at last only our paintings and one brush clutched in her small hand were left.
     
    ‘Come on now, why don’t we watch a movie?’
     
    She shook her head repeatedly.
     
    I laughed. ‘Really?’ I feigned disbelief. ‘You don’t want to watch Toy Story ?’ It was sure to work, it was her favourite film.
     
    Her interest in paint faded and the brush fell to the floor as she ran to me with outstretched arms. I scooped her up and, after washing her hands I found the DVD and sat back with her on the couch to watch it.
     
    Just as it was ending, my iPhone buzzed loudly at my side. It was Mae.
     
    ‘How are you, hon?’
     
    ‘Not bad,’ I told her.
     
    ‘What you doing today? Mum and I are going shopping.’ I heard her mother, yelling for me to go with them. I felt myself smile at the sound of Mrs. Jensen.
     
    ‘Rain check? I’m babysitting.’
     
    ‘Really? When will Rach be back?’
     
    ‘Ha, your guess is as good as mine.’
     
    ‘Okay, well, if you need to get out, just call me, okay?’
     
    ‘Thanks.’ I was about to hang up when a thought occurred to me. ‘Mae–’
     
    ‘Mum, I said wait!’ she yelled at the other end of the line. ‘Sorry Mum is rushing me, what’s up?’
     
    ‘You know those guys, the older boys we sometimes see in town.’
     
    ‘Yeah, Chel