She had family back in Hobart to look after, so one morning Granddad loaded her bags into the back of the truck and drove her to Launceston to catch the train home. Before she went she gave me a long hug. She looked a lot like as lightly older version of my mother, and I found myself closing my eyes and pretending for a second that it was Ma hugging me. I hadn’t thought I was missing Ma too badly up until that moment. Then I realised how much I really was. Not much more was said at school about my dad being found alive and not so well. Mrs Grayson had mentioned it to the class very early on, and every couple of days she would ask me if there was any more word about when he was going to be coming back to Evansbridge. ‘No, ma’am,’ I’d mumble. ‘We’re just taking it one day at a time.’ I think I said that because it was what I’d overheard Nan telling people in the street whenever they asked her the same question. ‘Well, you will let us know, won’t you?’ Mrs Grayson would say.
