Returning Home.

Chapter 1

"So what do you boys think?" I say as we turn off the main road towards Redland Bay.

"So you grew up here mum?" Asks Will as he stares out the window.

"Yes mate, but it was more bush land back then, now there are more houses and shops." I reply as we pass the new Woolworths. I giggle as it's been here 19 years but everyone would still refer to it as 'The new Woolworths'. Change was always a big thing here.

I pull into the shopping village and turn off the car.
"Ok, we need to just pop into the Bakery and then we will head to the house." I say to the boys as we jump out of the car.

I look around and realise that nothing has changed. The same shops that were here when I was growing up as still here but have just been freshened up a little.

As we enter the Bakery I can not take my eyes off the sign which now says 'West and Sons Bakery'. Are the West boys now Bakers? I never thought the twins would had followed in their dad's footsteps. Caden was playing cricket last I heard and Seth was going to start working part time with me.

As we entered, the bell rung which let them know that a customer had come in.

"Well as I live and breath, this beauty can surely not be our Amelia Baxter. Has she finally returned home?" I hear Maise West say before I see her.

"The one and only." I reply.

Maise comes around the counter and gives me a hug. "OMG, it is so good to see you. Are these the boys?" Maise says as she turns towards them.

The boys are a little shy but she bends down to their level and opens her arms up. Maise is such a kind and cheerful lady where she oozes this aura that you just can't seem to refuse to hug her back. Sebastien is the first to take the bait, while Will just stares at her to see how his brother goes.

"Will and Bas, This is Aunty Maise. She and her husband Uncle Jo own this Bakery, along with their sons." I say whilst raising my eyebrow to Maise.

"Oh, you will not believe how the boys have changed. I believe Seth is still going to help at the surgery, he needs to keep his skills current but he has found an interesting love for baking." I mush have a look of confusion in my face as I could never see Seth as a Baker.

"Caden on the other hand is more the 'business end' of the bakery." Maise replies.

She is still holding me as she talks and I look up at her face. It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years, I mean we have Skyped a few times but she still looks the same as I remember, like she has. It aged a day. She always tells me it cause of her Italian blood.

"I'm so sorry baby girl about your dad." She says close to tears.
"Oh Aunty, don't cry. You will have me crying." I reply. I embrace her as she silently sobs.

"Did I just hear an angels voice!" I hear Uncle Jo coming out of the back kitchen. As usually he is covered in flour.

He gives me a huge hug and then goes over to the boys. "What is that all over you?" Bas asks.
"Oh this." He says as he ruffles his hair and has the flour go everywhere. The boys are in squeals as it falls everywhere.

"Who wants cookies?" I hear Seth yell as he comes out. He pops the tray on the counter and comes over to give me a hug.

"Oh how I have missed you cuz." He says as he lifts me up in his hug.
"Oi, that's not way to handle your boss." I giggle as he puts me down.
"Boss, slash, your my cousin on my days off." Seth replies. He lifts Bas up onto the bench so that he can take some of the cookies.

"Everything is all prepared for Tomorrow." Maise says. "The whole town will be there." Jo says.
I just nod and keep watching the boys.

"We are so sorry honey." Jo says. "It just happened so fast."
"That's why a heart attack is one of the top 3 cause of death." I reply. I don't really know what to say in these situations. I just don't want to really think about it.

My father died suddenly of a heart attack. I had only seen him about 10 months ago when he flew to Sydney for my husband Eliot's funeral. I was a mess and he just came in and helped us through it all. He stayed and helped me to basically live again and when I found out about Eliot's past history, it was like a switch flipped in me and I wanted to make changes. Before he left, I had promised him that I was retiring from the Navy and coming home. He was so happy. Retiring took me longer than I expected but then I got the call that I was not prepared for which led me to now standing here, back in Redland Bay.

I look around and see how my boys are having an amazing time with our family and I kick myself for taking so long for them to come and see them. I just can't shake the fact that it took 2 major incidents in my life to make me realise that I needed to move forward and think of what my kids need and what I need.

"Baby steps kiddo." Jo says as he slings his arm around my shoulder. I smirk and give him a kiss on the cheek. It's like he always knows the right things to say. I used to think when I was a kid that he was a mind reader.

I grab all the boxes and give them both a kiss goodbye. Maise reminds me that she will have everything ready for tomorrow and to now worry about a thing. Seth gives me a nudge "I'm ready to start whenever you are." And I give him a nod.