Page 8 of Finding Us
“I’m sorry I’m not there to go with you.”
“Hmm,” she hums, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. “I might look for a new BFF while I’m there.”
“You better not,” I snap.
“Fine, but be warned, if I meet someone who, let’s just say … doesn’t live almost nine hundred kilometres away—”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Ugh. You know you’re irreplaceable.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
I pull up Brooke’s number on my phone and press call. It only rings twice before the sweetest little voice answers with a “Hello.”
“Angel?”
“Aunty Jaz,” she squeals.
“How are you, sweet girl?”
“When are you coming to visit us again? I miss you.”
Brooke and I have remained close over the years; she’s like family to me. Whenever they’re down in Melbourne we always get together, and same if we’re in Sydney. We even stayed with them in their new house while Dad and Connor were looking for the apartment where we now live.
“I miss you too. That’s why I’m calling, I wanted to see when your mum was free. I’m in Sydney.”
“Mummy,” Angel screams into the phone. “Aunty Jaz is in Sydney.”
I hear Brooke in the background. “Don’t scream into the phone, you’ll damage Aunty Jaz’s hearing.”
“Sorry, Aunty Jaz,” Angel whispers down the line. “Did I make you deaf?”
“No, sweet girl.”
“There is a new girl in my class at school who is deaf, so daddy bought me a book on sign language so I can communicate with her.”
“Wow. That is so cool.”
“I know, here’s Mummy.”
“Jaz, you’re in Sydney?”
“Yes. I’m living here now.”
“What?! Since when?”
“I’ve only been here a few days, but I decided to come back with Connor after the Christmas break.”
“Wow … I can’t believe I’m going to have you close by, what about your job?”
“I’ll find another.”
“With me, I hope.”
“Well … I’d love to come work for you, but please don’t feel obligated to hire me.”
“Are you kidding me, I’d love to have you. You’d be an asset at the studio.”
