Free Versace Sisters by Cate Kendall

wrong?" even though they hadn't told her there
was a problem. And how she'd know to suggest exactly the
right activity. I suggest tickle-chasey and everyone bursts
into tears.'
    'Well, you're obviously doing something right,' Sera
said as Alex came over to drop off her jumper and give
her dad a big smooch. 'How did you do it? Cast a magic
spell?'
    'Don't laugh, I considered it!' Sam chortled. 'No, one
night it occurred to me that I can't be a woman, I can't be
their mother, but I can be a pretty good dad. I just have to
do that the best way I can. For instance, Grace had a green
thumb, but very formal taste. Our courtyard was sculptured
and meticulously maintained. It was her passion.'
    He finished his sandwich and kicked back, his hands
folded behind his head as he got more involved in telling
his story.
    'I'm not proud of it, but soon after she died I went a
bit crazy. After the initial shock all I could feel was intense
anger.'
    'Really?' Sera asked in surprise. 'How unusual.'
    'Well, not really,' Sam explained, 'according to my grief
counsellor, it's perfectly normal. Anyway, I was in a rage
for weeks. I could barely breathe. Luckily the girls were
staying with their grandparents in Noosa. It hit me in waves
when I least expected it. I wanted to kill, maim, scream,
destroy anything that would release this . . . this, unmitigated
fury that she could leave me.
    'One day, when I had a savage hangover after a night
of drinking, I felt horrendous and suddenly the rage took
hold. I wanted to take vengeance, to punish her for doing
this to her beautiful innocent little girls – and to me. I just
went mad. I went out to her precious, pristine garden with
an axe. I hacked up bushes, ripped up pavers, chopped
down trees. I even smashed the mosaic table setting she'd
made herself. I really regret that one. But I couldn't see
straight. It went on for hours. I didn't rest until every
retaining wall, water feature, box hedge and succulent was
annihilated.' He stopped and drained the last of his coffee,
looking over with a peaceful smile at his girls as they practised
a dance routine.
    'Oh my God,' Sera breathed. 'So what did you do next?'
    'I fell into a slump of utter exhaustion. I was filthy, my
hands were bleeding and my clothes were torn. The sun
was setting and everything was glowing a kind of orange
colour. And her garden was gone. All of it, and nothing
I could ever do would bring it back.'
    Sam stopped and looked Sera in the eye. 'I know I
sound like a monster, Sera, and I don't really go around
telling people this story. You're just so easy to talk to.'
    She took his hand in a maternal squeeze. 'Sam,' she
said, 'I don't know how I would react or what I would
do in your position. I'm not judging you, just listening,
okay?'
    He nodded silently and continued. 'So, anyway, as I said
it was all gone. In the same way that Grace was gone.' He
paused for a second. 'And the only option left to me was
to accept it.'
    Sera nodded. 'What did the girls say when they came
home and saw what had happened?' she asked.
    'Well, that was the blessing in disguise. Rather than try
to be like Grace and create a design masterpiece, I prepared
several sections of the back yard so when the girls came
home we could create the world's best veggie garden.'
    'Oh, how wonderful,' Sera sighed in relief.
    'Yeah, it's really great,' Sam said, his enthusiasm reflected
in his smile. 'The girls just love it. One section is for our
root veg, one section is herbs, one is for all our leafy veggies
– the girls are even eating spinach now, can you believe it?
And one section is just full of any random flower seed that
tickles the girls' fancy at the nursery. It's like a rainbow
in there: poppies, lilies, sunflowers. There's no rhyme or
reason, and it's the girls' favourite part, of course.'
    'How brilliant. You must show me sometime.' Sera
said.
    'Yeah, it's been just great and I've learnt the most valuable
lesson from it.'
    'What?' Sera asked, leaning forward with