45 – Epilogue

Fenny looked straight down the aisle. On one side was her family, her father wielding a camera, on the other side was his family, all teary eyed and smiles. Music began to fill the air and she tentatively took her first steps toward him, and her new life. As she stepped she felt her feet slip and she crashed to the ground. Amongst the raucous laughter she saw him. He had a baby nestled in his arms and Ritza was hanging off his arm. They laughed at Fenny harder than anyone else did.

Fenny woke with a start. Ever since Brad had left, she’d been having the dreams again. The children dreams. She was beginning to think she’d gone completely and utterly mad. She looked at the businessman next to her. He was busy listening to classical music. Thank god he hadn’t noticed the perspiration on her forehead and the bewildered look in her eyes. She still had still two hours until she’d be landing in LA, and Fenny wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing.


Greg sat pawing over the morning paper, happily sucking down a strong coffee. He was pleased to be back in LA. Well, as pleased as anyone could be in LA. His wife had been thrilled with his return and he’d managed to put all his acting skills into play, from when she greeted him at the airport, to when they’d made love. Nothing, however, could erase how he felt about Gina, especially those last moments before he had to get on the plane.

They’d spent most of the time skirting around the issues, pretending to be interested in the duty free. Then his flight was called.

“Well, I’d like to say I’ve enjoyed my stay in the country,” Greg had mused.

“I kinda liked you stay in the country,” Gina had perked, and they’d stood there, like nervous teenagers, until Greg had pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back, equally reluctant to let go.

“I love you,” he mumbled through kisses.

“I know,” Gina had mumbled back.

“No looking back,” he’d breathed and she’d agreed.

Then as she’d tried to hide her tears, and he’d fought back his own, he’d turned and headed for the flight lounge, and she’d turned and headed for the electronic doors, no looking back.

Greg finished his coffee and folded his paper. He couldn’t believe the day had come. The day where he was to tell his wife he was leaving her.


After her glorious night with Paul, life seemingly sorted. Gina got caught up in having her car repaired and trying to hunt down the road train driver whose number she lost when her phone was destroyed. Not to mention apologizing profusely to her boss about why she’d disappeared. He told her not to bother coming back, as she’d been replaced. After not even two weeks, she’d been replaced – what a caring, sharing workplace that turned out to be.

She was surprised by how emotional things had gotten with Greg, too. She thought she’d feel relief when he left. But instead she felt guilty, and more than anything else, she knew they still had way too many issues that hadn’t been dealt with. Or perhaps…perhaps it was just now that she couldn’t and didn’t have him that she wanted him. What really shocked Gina, though, was when Paul appeared at her door after she’d gotten back from the airport. He was carrying a bag and looked serious.

“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah, I’ve kind of got to go to Melbourne. Like, I have a flight in twenty minutes,” Paul said miserably.

“Oh, well I certainly won’t be ready,” Gina laughed.

“About that, I really, really have a lot of catching up to do. Could we postpone you coming to Melbourne for a bit?”

“You don’t want me to come?” she gasped.

“Yes, of course I do! But right now you’d be too much of a distraction,” he smiled.

“Oh.”

“Give me a month at least,” he soothed and kissed her. “I’ve got an angry suit hire company to deal with down there and I still haven’t told my parents about their car.”

“Good luck.” She sighed and kissed him again.

“One month,” he perked and left, without looking back.

Gina closed the door and burst into tears. First she’d been a successful single woman. Then she’d had Greg, then both Greg and Paul, then just Paul. And now she had nothing, except a cat and a raging hippie next door.


Fenny pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked Brad’s apartment door. By the time she’s stepped off the plane at LAX, she realised she was longing for Brad more than anything. Perhaps once she settled in, all the anxiety she was feeling would go. She stepped into the apartment and heard the shower running. Well, he was already naked, that had to be a good thing. She dropped her bags and sauntered through the apartment. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting her – he hadn’t cleaned. Fenny wandered into the kitchen, and switched on the kettle. As she hunted for some tea, she noticed some papers on the table. They made her blood run cold; they were all about “Your rights to your child.”

“FENNY,” Brad beamed.

“Brad,” Fenny squeaked and looked at him horrified for a moment and then shook the look from her face. He was only wearing a towel after all.

“You should have called,” he perked and pulled her into a hug, his skin still damp.

“Sorry, the jet lag has screwed me up,” she breathed and looked down at the table again.

As she buried her face into his shoulder, Fenny wondered what she was going to do. Why couldn’t life just be easy? There was only one Fennyish thing left to do: go into total denial.