Her Kind of Trouble

Robin had been a friend and occasional work collaborator in L.A., but she’d still had her doubts when he proposed they join forces when he heard she, too, was planning to head home to Australia. All reservations had been blown away the first time they’d sat down to truly hammer out the details of their partnership, however, and from that day she’d been pinching herself that she’d gotten so lucky.

“So you’re settled, then?” Jodie asked.

There was an odd intensity to her gaze as she waited for Vivian’s answer.

“I’m well and truly, officially home,” Vivian said. “No way could I face another transPacific move. Besides, I missed you guys too much.”

Jodie’s two boys, Sam and Max, were nearly four and five, her mum and dad were getting older... It had been time to return, and Vivian didn’t regret it for a second, even if she did miss some aspects of her life in L.A. Her friends, the opportunities. Her very cool apartment in Los Feliz.

“Good. Because I like being able to do this instead of making do with Skype,” Jodie said.

Vivian checked her watch. “You hungry yet? Robin doesn’t need me until after lunch, so we can raid the buffet and go sit on the roof if you like?”

“That sounds suitably inner-city groovy and exciting for a mum of two from Balwyn.” Jodie rubbed her hands together in comic anticipation.

“I might have a couple of scarves and handbags to throw your way, too,” Vivian stage-whispered as they headed for a trestle table laden with food.

“Oh, goodie.”

Vivian had been keeping her sister supplied with a steady stream of fashion and accessories for years. When she was in L.A., Vivian had packed up her finds every month and shipped them to Australia, causing Jodie to joke she was “dressed by Vivian.”

“My God. How are you not the size of a house?” Jodie asked as she considered the array of food.

Sandwiches, subs, doughnuts, cake, lasagna warming in a bain-marie, three different types of salads. Vivian handed her sister a plate.

“I don’t eat dinner most of the time. And usually this sucker has been gutted by the time I get here and I get a sandwich with someone else’s fingerprints on it, and the slushy salad from the bottom of the bowl.”

“Ew. Even I would lose weight in that case.” Jodie patted her well-padded hips self-consciously.

“Jodie, if I ever have children, I will pray to the gods that I look half as good as you do,” Vivian said. “Now, dig in before these vultures break for lunch.”

They both loaded up their plates, then Vivian led her sister upstairs to the rooftop, an inhospitable concrete expanse she and Robin were attempting to humanize with a few deck chairs and potted plants.

They grabbed a chair each and chatted easily while eating—Jodie catching up Vivian on Max and Sam’s latest exploits, Vivian filling in her sister on the challenges of launching a fashion styling and photography business.

“So who is the shoot for today, then?” Jodie asked as she finished the last of her carrot cake.

“Fairbank and Rose,” Vivian said, naming one of Australia’s most prominent and exclusive department store chains.

Jodie’s eyes widened. “Is that an ongoing thing?”

“It’s an audition. We’ve got a proposal in with them, and this catalogue shoot is the first stage. I guess you could say we’re dating, but no one is ready to commit yet.”

“They’ll be down on one knee, begging you to marry them in a matter of days,” Jodie predicted.

“I should record that and play it back while I sleep,” Vivian joked. “On to more important matters. What would Sam love for his birthday?”

Her youngest nephew was turning four on the weekend, and Vivian wanted to get him something memorable and fun.

“Anything that references monkeys in any way will go over a treat,” Jodie said. “Also, anything related to pirates. If you can find a pirate monkey, you’ll have hit pay dirt.”

“Pirates and monkeys. That should be enough to get me started.”

Jodie set her plate on the ground and dusted off her skirt. She’d given up her work as an accountant when Max was born, and usually she spent the day in jeans and sweaters, but today she’d clearly gone to a bit of trouble, pairing a short-sleeved cashmere turtleneck with an Asian-print skirt Vivian had sent her.

“I wanted to ask you something important, Viv.”

She looked so serious that sudden dread clutched at Vivian’s stomach. “Okay. Should I be sitting down for this?”

“You’re already sitting down.”

“Good point. Then do I need a box of tissues?”

Jodie smiled. “I really hope not.”

Then Vivian twigged. “Oh, my God, you’re pregnant again!”

Another niece or nephew. Fantastic. And this time she would be here to share the whole experience. She leaned forward to hug her sister but Jodie fended her off with a laugh.

“Will you calm down and let me get a word in sideways? I’m not pregnant. But you’re kind of on the right track. Jason and I have been talking lately, and we realized that now that we have Max and Sam we need to stop living like kids and plan for the future.”

Vivian blinked. She couldn’t think of a single couple who were more grounded, sensible and grown-up than Jodie and Jason. They were both accountants, for Pete’s sake, they managed their finances down to the cent, they had two children, a mortgage, a dog and a family wagon. How much more adult could a person get?

“Sweetie, if you and Jason consider yourselves kids, then I am officially an embryo. No, less than that, I’m the hopeful, horny glint in someone’s eye.”

“It might look like that from the outside, but we don’t have life or disability insurance.... And we haven’t thought about who we’d like to look after the boys if something happened to us.”

Vivian stared at her sister, wondering if she was misinterpreting the hopeful expression on Jodie’s face. Surely she wasn’t asking if Vivian would be willing to step in if Max and Sam needed her to...?

“Jason and I had a big talk about it, and as much as we both love our parents, we think the boys would be better off with someone younger. Dad’s slowing down a lot now, and Jason’s mum adores the kids, but she has a bit of a short fuse when they’re being rowdy. So we wondered how you would feel about being named as guardian to Max and Sam. In case anything, you know, happened.”

Wow. Just...wow.

Vivian blinked away the hot rush of tears. She couldn’t believe this. That her sister—and Jason—trusted her so much. Sure, she knew she’d done a lot to rehabilitate her reputation as the crazy, flighty sister over the years, but for Jodie to trust her with her beloved children...

“Are those happy tears or oh-my-God-get-me-out-of-here-I’m-so-freaked-out tears?” Jodie asked.

“These are happy tears. And the answer is yes. Times a bazillion. I would crawl over broken glass for those boys, and I would be honored to be their guardian,” Vivian said earnestly.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

She was having trouble choking back a wellspring of emotion. “Jodie...I want you to know this means a lot to me. I will not let you down. I will do whatever it takes to make sure Sam and Max are happy and healthy, that they never want for anything.”

“Should anything happen to me and Jason,” Jodie amended with a twinkle in her eye.

“Right. Of course,” Vivian added hastily. “Of course.”

Jodie laughed outright. “Wait till I tell Jason you were ready to drive over and pick the kids up straight away.”