Cara

I was shocked as I cleared Customs, walking into Arrivals at Melbourne Airport. There was a throng of people pressed against the gate, jostling signs and shouting. It really unnerved me.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It had been a long, long flight. Amber had told me, of course. But the information obviously hadn’t entered my brain. I had just crossed two time zones and I felt as if I was a zombie, like I had never slept and would never sleep again. I had never experienced jet lag this bad before.

I scanned the faces in the crowd, confused. Then, I suddenly saw her.

Amber. My closest friend, smiling brightly, jumping up and down. I steered my luggage trolley through the throng towards her.

“Cara! You’re here!” Amber threw her arms around me, almost knocking me to the ground. “What was the delay? I’ve been waiting over an hour!”

“Beats me,” I shrugged, returning the hug. “We didn’t take off on time from Singapore. That might be it.” I looked my best friend in the face. “That was brutal, Amber. The longest flight of my life.”

Amber laughed. “I did try to tell you.” She paused, carefully looking at me. “You look beat. Do you want to have a coffee before we go, or do you want to get straight home? I imagine you just want to hit the sack.”

“Coffee,” I declared. “I want to chat with you, alone, before I meet your beloved. It’s been so long.”

We found a café in the airport, sipping our lattes as we watched the world go by.

“So.” I stretched, feeling the caffeine hit my bloodstream, revitalising me. “Tell me everything! When is the wedding?”

Amber gave me all the details, her face betraying her happiness. “I’m so glad you came. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my bridesmaid. And you will love Finn, and Lilah, of course. I can’t wait for you to meet them.”

“Neither can I,” I said. “Wow! I can’t believe that you are about to get married. And to an Australian! What am I going to do, with my bestie living on the other side of the world?”

Amber frowned. “I don’t want to think about it. I will miss you so much. But you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

Amber’s cell phone suddenly started vibrating on the table in front of us. She picked it up, mouthing to me that it was Finn. I zoned out while Amber took the call. It wasn’t just the long flight. My mind was in a whirlwind, thinking over all the problems I had left behind in San Francisco.

My medical studies, which I didn’t think I could continue. I had hit a wall, unable to work the long hours of an intern and still work my part time waitressing job. I had felt I was on the verge of a collapse.

Then Amber had called, begging me to come to Australia to be her bridesmaid. I had jumped at the opportunity. A break was definitely what I needed. I had to think long and hard about where my life was going.

Amber ended the call, looking at me in surprise. “That was Finn,” she said. “He was calling about his best friend, Bryce. You know, the one I was telling you about? Turns out Bryce has landed himself in some hot water. One of his old girlfriends has suddenly died.”

“Why has that landed him in hot water?” I asked. “Did he kill her?”

Amber laughed. “No, of course not! Bryce is a pussy cat. He might think he’s the playboy of the Western world, but inside, he is a softie. No, it turns out the ex has a child. And the child is Bryce’s! He had no idea. He is absolutely shocked.”

“What’s he going to do?” I sipped my latte.

“He doesn’t really know.” Amber frowned. “But Finn thinks he will take his son in. What else can he do? But it’s a bit of a dilemma. He works from dawn to dusk, plus he’s just taken a secondment to work on the Gold Coast, in Queensland. He’s going to need some help.”

“I’m sure he’ll work it out,” I said.

Amber sat up straighter, looking at me intensely. “You should do it, Cara! Become his nanny.”

“What?” I looked at Amber as if she had just lost her mind. “What are you talking about? I live in the States! I’m just here visiting for your wedding.”

Amber looked excited. “No, but it’s perfect! You said you’re exhausted, not knowing where you’re going with your medical studies. This way, you would have time to think, while earning money. And we would be in the same country!”

I shook my head. “Amber, I don’t think so. I don’t know the first thing about nannying, for a start. And you’re jumping the gun a bit, aren’t you? You don’t even know what this Bryce character is intending to do with this long-lost child. And he mightn’t approve of me as a nanny, anyway.”

Amber smiled. “I can talk him around, and so can Finn. Cara, just think about it, will you?”

I finished my latte, looking at Amber. “I’ll think about it. But not now. Can we please go to your beautiful mansion, so I can get some sleep?”

Amber laughed. “Of course. Let’s go, sleepyhead.”

On the car trip through Melbourne, I went over what Amber had said. It seemed unlikely, anyway. I might not even get along with this Bryce. But if I did, it could be a good opportunity to clear my mind. See what I really wanted to do with my life.

Things weren’t going well in California. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had slept properly. It was becoming a real issue.

I toyed with the idea, a little. Then I abruptly fell asleep, pressed up against the glass of the passenger side window.

* * *