Page 76 of The Mother-in-Law

When I arrive home after Diana’s doctor’s appointment, Patrick and Nettie are pulling up out the front.

‘Hi,’ I say, emerging from the car. ‘This is a surprise.’

‘We called Ollie,’ Nettie says. ‘He said we could come on over.’

‘Oh. Well, good. I’m glad you’re here actually.’

‘Us too,’ Nettie says, oddly chipper. Patrick, in contrast, seems a little down. He takes his time locking up the car, then slopes up the path a few paces behind us.

‘How has your day been?’ Nettie asks.

I let them in with my key. ‘Actually, it’s been a little strange. Which is why I’m glad you’re here. I need to talk to you about Diana.’

We walk into the kitchen where Ollie is standing at the fridge cracking a beer. ‘G’day, everyone,’ he says. ‘Beer, Patrick?’

‘Mum?’ Nettie says to me. ‘What about her?’

‘Yes, what about Mum?’ Ollie says.

The kids, in front of the TV in their PJs, look up, then quickly back at the screen.

‘Have they been fed?’ I ask Ollie.

‘Chicken nuggets, peas and corn,’ he says proudly. ‘Wine for you, ladies?’

‘Sure,’ I say.

‘I’m fine,’ Nettie says.

Ollie holds out a beer to Patrick, who accepts and downs it in record time. I wonder if everything is okay with him, but I’m too preoccupied with Diana to spend too much time thinking about it.

‘Why don’t we go outside to get away from little ears?’ I suggest. ‘And I’ll tell you what’s going on with Diana.’

As I clear the clutter from the outdoor table, I notice Nettie giving Patrick a look—somewhere between a smile and a wince. I feel a little dance inside. She’s pregnant, I realise. She must be pregnant.

‘So . . . do you guys have anything to tell us?’ I ask, when we’re all sitting. Nettie’s smile indicates that she does, but she shakes her head.

‘No, no, you first. Tell us about Mum.’

‘Okay,’ I say. ‘Actually I dropped in to visit her today.’

There’s a short, loaded silence. Even Patrick stares at me like I have two heads.

‘You dropped in to visitMum?’ Ollie says.

Admittedly it is not the kind of thing I usually do. Still I’m taken aback by everyone’s level of shock.

‘Well, we’ve hardly seen her since Tom died, we’ve barely even heard from her. I was worried. And it turns out, I was right to be. She looks like she’s been sleeping in her clothes, not eating properly. I took her to the doctor, just to get her looked at.’

Ollie puts down his beer. ‘What did the doctor say?’

‘She’s had some blood tests, but she’s most likely depressed. She was given a prescription for antidepressants. The doctor also recommended exercise and keeping some sort of routine. And I thought we could all take turns taking her out, bringing her food, that kind of thing.’

‘Good idea,’ Ollie says.

‘Sure,’ Nettie says. ‘Yes, why not.’

But Nettie seems distracted. Jittery. Her eyes bounce around the way the kids’ eyes do when they arrive at someone’s house for a play date and they can’t decide which toy to play with first.