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We’ll be watching.’ Bonnie waved to them and went back to the bench. She rewrapped her towel and sat down beside Suzanne. ‘Is that okay with you, Mum?’
    Suzanne glanced at her watch. ‘Should be fine,’ she said. ‘If it’s only a few minutes. I’ll need to get going pretty soon though, so if you want me to help get them showered and everything …’
    â€˜Yeah, okay, I’ll get them out in a sec.’ She watched Edie and Louie splashing in their goggles and breathed slowly, trying to ease the annoyance that squeezed her chest. For fuck’s sake. It’s one hour a week and she can’t wait to get away .
    â€˜And how was your swim?’ said Suzanne.
    â€˜All right.’ She kept her eyes on the children in the water. ‘I’ve got a way to go.’
    â€˜You’ll get there. You managed to bounce back after those whopping great twins — you’ll be fine. And Jess is only — what? — five months now?’
    â€˜Nearly.’
    â€˜Well, five months isn’t really all that long, in terms of your recovery. So don’t worry too much just yet.’
    There was a silence.
    Suzanne sat up straighter, crossed her legs. ‘Let them play a bit longer,’ she said. ‘I can hang around an extra ten minutes. I just wanted to get to that boutique in Clifton Hill before I had to head back in time for bridge, that’s all.’
    Bonnie tugged at her towel. The annoyed feeling was still there, and showed in her voice, its chilly formality. ‘Are you sure?’
    â€˜Yes, yes — really, it’s all right. No hurry.’
    There was another silence.
    Come on. She’s trying .
    Suzanne settled back on the bench. ‘So what else is news?’
    Bonnie took a breath, smoothed her voice, made it friendly. ‘Not much. Pete’s got his old friend Doug working for him again. Remember — you would’ve met him at that barbeque we had, you know, at the old house, when Pete got that bar fit-out?’
    â€˜Doug.’ Suzanne frowned. ‘Don’t remember him.’
    â€˜Yes, you do. Skinny guy, bit manic, little bit older. Talks all the time. Calls me Missus Bonnie.’
    â€˜Oh, him. Mad as a snake, that feller.’
    â€˜Well, he’s driving me crazy. He turns up at seven-thirty, sits around the kitchen eating porridge that Pete makes for him. And I’m trying to get the kids organised and he just keeps playing with them and — Oh, it doesn’t sound that bad when I say it, but …’ She pushed back her hair. ‘It’s not what he does, it’s just him — he’s really intrusive. You know, watches everything you do and has some comment ready. Makes these jokes that are actually jibes at me, and … or, I don’t know, maybe I’m just paranoid. Maybe I’m sensitive to everything he says now, ’cause I’ve tuned into it.’
    â€˜So what’s he doing for Pete, exactly?’
    â€˜Just odd jobs in the workshop. I don’t know really.’
    â€˜Well, is he a carpenter or anything?’
    â€˜I don’t think so. I think he just does easy stuff — you know, sanding or whatever.’ She half stood. ‘Louie! Edie! Over this way, please, where I can see you.’ She waited until they came closer.
    â€˜Hold on,’ said Suzanne. ‘Hasn’t there already been an issue with this Doug feller? Didn’t he make a big mistake last time, get an order wrong or something?’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜What happened again?’
    â€˜Well. These people rang up and changed their order. Pete had gone off somewhere and left his phone.’ Bonnie rolled her eyes. ‘So Doug took it upon himself to answer Pete’s phone and underquoted them by, like, fifteen hundred dollars. Pete didn’t find out until he went to make the delivery. So what could he do? He had to just give it to them for the