I busied my self and as I moved I could hear people begin to stir. The kids came through first and I seated them at the table in one end of the great room. Kati, Angie, Dylan and Trey all wanted pancakes so I busied myself with that and Christian and Beccie asked for scrambled eggs and toast which the devoured as soon a s I placed it in front of them. It always amazed me how kids would eat each meal as though they had never been fed before. I laughed along with there childish banter as I sat beside Angie with a reassuring arm around her shoulders, today would be a tough day for her no matter what I was glad she could at least enjoy breakfast with her younger friends.

Angie and I had begun Clearing as some very hung over adults began to surface. Shane was first and I just handed her a coffee as she took a seat on one of the bar stools around the island unit in the middle of the kitchen. Alice and Tina arrived at about the same time; both took coffee and said yes to pancakes, as did Bette and Dana when they finally surfaced. Andy stayed in bed as instructed and so was last down she looked radiant in jeans that were faded and torn at the knees and a pink fitted T-shirt. The colour suited her though she rarely wore it. Everyone laughed as Andy got herself a huge serving of ice cream and joined us all at the table.

We ate and enjoyed each other’s company as the morning passed and before I knew it they had all helped tidy and were making to leave. We saw them of at the front door and Dana and Alice took Katie she would spend the day at their’s and I assumed that those who needed to would return to work as a lot had been missed in the last week. Bette called James to make sure he was all set to leave in the morning and agreed to take him to the airport for his flight. They would be travelling over for the opening in Eight weeks.

Once everyone had left we all made our way through into the lounge room it was more comfortable and relaxing and we all took seats. Bette and Tina on one sofa Angie took an armchair and Andy and I took the second sofa.