issue of it. Sophie knew I was there if she needed me. As for Alex, he didnât talk about it either, at least not with me.
Anyone could see that parenthood, while amazing and rewarding, had its downsides. I just felt sad that in those early months Sophie experienced more bumps and setbacks than sheâd expected and it knocked her confidence. Still, it did make me wonder sometimes if it was better to remain unattached and childless.
In some ways, Taraâs life was more complex. The question of why Tara married Anthony so soon after her affair with Jules had played on my mind for years.
Taraâs relationship with Jules began when Jules kissed Tara one night after theyâd been to see The Whitlams play at some dive in Fortitude Valley.
âIâm sorry if I offended you,â Jules said to Tara, the next day, âbut it seemed like a good idea at the time.â Tara wasnât in the least offended â quite the opposite â and their relationship progressed rapidly, especially after Tara convinced her parents to let her move into a flat in St Lucia. âIt would really help my grades if I lived closer to uni,â she told them.
Those naive Catholics! So, in a flat heavily subsidised by her devout parents, Tara got hot and heavy with Jules. All was perfect until ten months later on the morning of Taraâs twenty-first birthday.
Weâd been celebrating Taraâs coming of age at her flat the night before, drinking and dancing, dancing and drinking, until we could drink nor dance no more. Everyone gradually disappeared and crawled back to their rough student accommodation, all except Jules. Apparently she and Tara fell asleep on a rather comfortable rug on the living room floor. Naked.
Early the next morning, a Sunday, in strolled Mr and Mrs Murphy, cake in hand, to surprise their gorgeous, studious daughter. There they stood in the middle of Taraâs lounge room, dressed in sober church attire, clutching a chocolate mud cake and staring at their daughter, who appeared to be buck naked and entwined with another girl. Horrified, Mrs Murphy mumbled something about ânot wanting to interruptâ, fumbled to put the cake down and fled with her husband.
Tara was beside herself with anguish when I caught up with her later that afternoon. âWhat the fuck am I going to do, Claud? I can never face them again.â
âWhere exactly was Julesâs tongue when they walked in?â
âIâm serious. Theyâre going to kill me.â
âIt could have been worse.â
âHow?â
âI guess youâre right,â I said after some thought. âIt probably doesnât get more embarrassing than that.â
âI canât face them.â Tara clapped her hands to her cheeks. âAnd to top it off, Jules isnât speaking to me. Sheâs pissed off because I didnât lock the front door.â
âWell, yes, perhaps you should ââ
âI wasnât exactly thinking about that at three in the morning when my girlfriend stripped and offered me my birthday present.â
âClearly,â I replied. âHappy birthday, by the way.â
It was a matter of days before her parents staged what could only be called an intervention, which involved repeating the rosary ad infinitum and praying to God for Taraâs salvation, as well as the usual tears and recriminations. It went on for weeks. âWhy did you send her to an all-girls school, dear?â was one of Mr Murphyâs often repeated but unanswered questions.
Taraâs parents were beyond upset. They couldnât have been more disappointed had she confessed to being a serial killer.
Three months later Tara was engaged to Anthony, and six months after that they married. Although it was all over by the time Tara was twenty-five, they didnât divorce until several years later. Tara didnât want to upset her parents, but inevitably when she told