Hallo to all,
Just a quick note to explain a term in this chapter for those who have not come across it before, Smoko. A term often used to describe morning and/or afternoon tea break as smokers use it as a smoke break, hence the term Smoko.
Mygypsy.
*
The ring of her mobile phone interrupted Janey and she frowned as she glanced at it. Seeing the familiar number but not being able to place it, she shook her hands dry and reached for the phone.
"Hallo. Janey speaking," she said as she looked at the potatoes she was supposed to be peeling for tea.
"Hi Janey. How are you and Nicky doing?" The deep voice was instantly familiar and Janey frowned for a moment before placing the voice.
"Brad!" Janey glanced around the kitchen nervously; she knew he wasn't allowed to contact her. "Is something wrong? You're not supposed to call me remember!"
"Your brother the cop, he took it on himself to get some changes made to certain AVO's." Brad said sounding very pleased, " Now I can ring in reference to Nicky. So how is Nicky?"
"Nicky's fine, he's good. Give me a moment, I'm going to go find my brother and kick his butt for not telling me about this!" Janey said and headed through the house looking for Robby.
Janey found her brother in his bedroom with their mother checking the tape on his ribs, which had been injured the previous week at work.
"Robbie! You should have told me what you were doing with Brad's AVO!" Janey exclaimed as she walked into the room.
Robbie looked towards the door startled, a slow smile grew on his face and he shrugged lightly.
"Janey, hey Janey!" Brad called in her ear.
"Yeah what?" Janey asked with a slight frown as he distracted her.
"Your brother hasn't only made things better for me but has made things a lot more comfortable for Ren, Matty and Brent as well," Brad said calmly.
"Robbie!" Janey yelled at her brother in happy exasperation forgetting to take the phone away from her face and treating Brad to a loud yell in his ear. Realising immediately what she had done she held the phone out from her face and grimaced at it before putting it to the side of her face once more.
"Err, sorry Brad," Janey said ruefully.
Brad chuckled even though her yell had been quite loud in his ear, "Please try not to do it again."
"Okay. So what are you and 'Tanaya doing?" Janey asked as she walked away from her brother's room. She realised there was no use in trying to talk to Robbie while she was on the phone to Brad as she would probably only end up yelling in Brad's ear again.
"At the moment we are sitting back celebrating," Brad said with a smile in his voice.
"Would it be okay if Nicky and I came over to visit?" Janey asked.
"That would be great. Where is Nicky by the way?" Brad asked.
"Nicky is outside helping his Aunty Caro water the garden. Translated he is trying to catch the water as it comes out of the hose," Janey said with a laugh.
"That's my boy," Brad laughed in admiration.
"I'll just get our things together and come on over right away if that's okay," Janey said.
"If you want, you can stay the night. I'd love to have Nicky," Brad said quietly.
"Okay then. But if he wakes up in the middle of the night you're getting up to check on him," Janey laughed softly knowing Brad would welcome the chance to have Nicky sleep over.
"It's a deal," Brad said laughing.
With a few more words they ended the conversation and Janey headed outside to find her sister and Nicky. She found them near the veggie garden. Caro was showing Nicky the butterflies that had found one of the many flowering bushes.
"Hi, how is it going?" Janey asked as she walked up.
"Nicky are you going to tell Mummy what we found?" Caro asked the little boy.
Nicky turned his head towards his mother - his eyes were wide with wonder. "Fufferf'y! Fufferf'y!" Nicky said softly in awe.
"Have you found some butterflies?" Janey asked gently.
Nicky nodded his head vigorously before turning his attention back to the butterflies.
"Who want's to see Daddy?" Janey asked.
Nicky turned towards his mother eagerly and lifted his arms up to her.
"Is Adam back? I thought he said he'd be away from a few weeks," Caro said as she watched Janey pick up Nicky.
"Dadam! Dadam!" Nicky chanted excitedly.
"Nicky, Daddy, not Dadam. Daddy," Janey said slowly. She watched as her son frowned for a few seconds then let out a delighted cry.
"Daddaddaddad," Nicky began calling excitedly.
Caro shook her head but knew better than to say anything more. Janey had already made it very clear to her that Nicky would continue to see his father who Caro believed was a no-hoper thug.
* * * * *
Brad was waiting on the front veranda when Janey drove up; she smiled as she saw the excitement on his face.
"G'day!" Brad said as he came around to her side of the vehicle.
"G'day yourself. You look mighty pleased with yourself," Janey said with a wide smile.
"Being able to ring and check on Nicky makes a huge difference. I don't feel like I'm in his life on sufferance any more," Brad said as he lifted Nicky from his car seat.
"Dadam! Dadam! Dadam!" Nicky called loudly.
Brad glanced at Janey with a frown; she gave him a grimace of apology and shrugged.
"My sister inadvertently said the 'other' word and Nicky got the wrong idea," Janey said sounding none to pleased.
"Hey Nicky," Brad said as Nicky focused on his face.
Nicky immediately launched into an animated and excited chatter as he grasped Brad's face in his little hands.
"Oh you're here already!" 'Tanaya said as she walked out of the house and out to the car.
"Yeah. Nicky had not gotten hold of the hose for once this afternoon," Janey said as she got both her overnight bag and Nicky's from the car.
'Tanaya noticed the way Janey kept trying to glance around unobtrusively and smiled.
"Ren's out in the garage with Brent and Matty, they're doing an oil change on the 4wd," 'Tanaya told her.
