The Peppercorn Project by Nicki Edwards Page A

experienced the familiar tightening of her ribcage. She worked hard to breathe as she forced a smile. ‘Yes. January.’ She hated the way her voice cracked. The most traumatic event of her life had occurred nine months ago, yet it felt as though it was yesterday. Tension nestled into large knots in her shoulders. ‘Dan was out surfing earlier this year and had a heart attack. Unfortunately he couldn’t be revived.’ Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
    Uncomfortable silence hogged the room. Mietta scooted forward in her seat and reached for Isabelle’s hand. Fletcher’s chin dropped to his chest and he started jiggling one leg furiously – a nervous habit Isabelle thought he had broken. She swore under her breath. Why hadn’t she considered her kids before launching into their story?
    Alison coughed politely behind her hand and spoke. ‘Children hate being cooped up inside, Isabelle. It’s a glorious day, why don’t you let Fletcher and Mietta run around and explore? They can’t get into any harm, and they know where you are. We can continue the interview and you can catch up with them afterwards.’
    The offer was barely out of Alison’s mouth before Fletcher sprang from his seat.
    Isabelle smiled at the older woman in appreciation. With a nod to Fletcher, he took off out the door. She squeezed Mietta’s hand. ‘What about you, darling? Do you want to head outside with Fletcher?’
    ‘He won’t want me tagging along,’ Mietta said.
    ‘Why don’t you go outside and sit with Leah?’ Isabelle suggested. ‘You can help check out the competition,’ she whispered.
    ‘Okay,’ Mietta said, although she didn’t sound convinced.
    ‘I’m here if you need me, okay?’
    Mietta obeyed, her feet shuffling across the timber floor. The door slammed shut and Isabelle jumped involuntarily. She quickly recovered, turning her attention back to the three people opposite her.
    ‘It must be hard on the kids,’ Alison said softly. ‘Losing their dad unexpectedly, and in such tragic circumstances.’
    Isabelle nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had been so confident she could get through the interview without crying, and yet one kind word and the tears, which were always just under the surface, bubbled up and threatened to tip over the edge. Was she going to be stuck on this emotional rollercoaster forever?
    Delving into her handbag, she found a tissue and blew her nose loudly. She drew in another deep breath and let it out.
    ‘We were about to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary,’ she said.
    Rachel nodded and they waited for Isabelle to continue.
    ‘We met at the end of Year Twelve and fell in love. Then I fell pregnant.’ From the moment Dan cut the cord and took Fletcher into his arms, he was besotted. ‘Dan and Fletcher were so close.’ Isabelle sniffed. ‘They had a special bond. Whatever Dan did, Fletcher wanted to do it too.’
    ‘How old is Fletcher?’ Jack asked.
    ‘Twelve. A teenager next year.’ She smiled sadly. ‘Not the best age for a kid to lose his Dad.’
    ‘I don’t think any time is a good time,’ Alison replied gently, reaching out to touch Isabelle’s hand. Tears stung Isabelle’s eyes at the other woman’s kindness.
    ‘And Mietta?’ Rachel asked.
    Isabelle’s mouth curled upwards in a smile. ‘Mietta is six. She’s my angel. I lost three babies between Fletcher and Mietta and we had decided not to try for another baby when I fell pregnant again. She was our little surprise miracle.’
    ‘She seems shy,’ Rachel said. ‘How do you think she’ll cope if you win – moving and everything? You’re making a big decision.’
    Isabelle nodded. ‘I agree, but the decision is out of our hands. Dan had no life insurance, we’d over-extended ourselves with our mortgage and relied on our credit cards too much. Even with some money from his super, it wasn’t enough to keep the house. The bank has sold it and we have until the end of November to move