Restoration in the River

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

"So...uh" Sean began "just WHEN were you going to tell Charlotte and me that Emmie was missing?"

"How did you find out?" Julian asked, his iPhone to his ear as he sat at the dining room table, Gracie sat beside him munching on homemade fresh, hot pancakes, fresh berries, cream, ice cream and dusted with icing sugar.

"Emmie's Instagram account, the Governor's website...did you find her?" He growled down the phone.

"Yes, did it not get updated?" Julian asked.

"Well it's late here now, so I can only hope... did. you. find. her??"

His and Charlotte's luggage was at the front door of their townhouse in Greenwich Village. 

"I found her last night about eight, five minutes from home, she was fast asleep by just after nine and is still sleeping now"

"What the hell happened?"

"I screwed up brother, I got all huffy over Emmaline's reaction to Amanda coming to Brisbane," he said. 

"There's more than that, Julian" Sean prompted.

"Yeah, I kinda got all jealous and angry that she suggested Amanda and I have lunch at Fernberg over, in the city somewhere, then I snapped and snarled at her even saying I should have married Amanda.."

"Oh, Julian!" Sean whined "Really??"

"I know! I know! But I said it when we were at Gracie's new school, then ignored her when she swapped cars to go to Parliament House, she was blank and emotionless, staring into space so the Premier just rescheduled not even asking Emmaline if she was okay and then she went missing"

"Did you call Wolf?"

"After a few hours yes, by then she was at Lady Cilento's, helping out in Emergency" 

"Does she miss being a full-time doctor? I know she retired a few months back but now she's Governor, she kind of can't go and work at a surgery or a hospital whenever she feels like it, she has a duty to the Queen." 

"I suggested she and Gracie move back home with me to Como, that way she can still be a doctor a couple of days a week," he said. "But I received a call from Her Majesty last night, and from reading between the lines, she doesn't want Emmie to go."

"And she shouldn't! Tell that Premier to fuck off!" Sean growled "Oh and Mum wants to come to see Fernberg, she wants to have morning tea with Emmie and you, and meet Gracie, she wasn't feeling her best for your wedding" 

"Is she right to fly?" 

"She'll make sure she is, is that okay with you and Emmie, can she fit Mum in?"  

"Emmie is on a week's break, it might also be our chance at a honeymoon," Julian said, "when are you coming?"

"Our flight leaves in two hours, tell Clayton and Stella to make room for us brother, we're coming!"  

He felt Emmaline's arms wrap around his waist. "Has it been cleared that I can have a week off?" 

He reached round to kiss her lips softly "yes, it has. Honourable Justice Robert Fraser has commenced duty as Acting Governor of Queensland. You..." he turned around to face her and tapped her nose gently "need to have some well earned time to yourself, Sean Charlotte and Yoko are coming as well, their flight leaves in two hours."

"I would like a role in your foundation Julian, not just being a Patron, that isn't enough..."

"It's more than enough, Sweetness!" He reassured her.  "The amazing people that support The White Feather Foundation know you stand by my side and are with me in this fight to save and protect our earth, I share everything with you that we do as part of the foundation. I keep nothing from you, and we will show our little Gracie a good example of how to save the world. So that she can someday take over this important work from us... her parents."