Partly because they knew Sebastian would enjoy celebrating his birthday with his friends, but also because it was James’s fortieth birthday a week later. They had it all planned: they would have a lunchtime party for Sebastian with his day-care friends and then, after the kids went home and Sebastian was asleep, exhausted from the onslaught of food and presents, they would put on a barbecue dinner for James, a party for grown-ups. They had been planning the joint birthday celebration for a month. The invitations were out, the jumping castle had been ordered and the menu had been finalised. Fairy bread, finger sandwiches, mini meat pies and sausage rolls for Sebastian’s party; pig on the spit, sausages and steak with salads and plenty of alcohol for James’s party. The only person on the guest list who had caused some conflict between Catriona and James was Spencer. After what ended up being two months staying with them, Spencer found a job as a groundskeeper for the Auburn Botanic Gardens, nine hectares of parks and gardens in Sydney’s west.
