Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 102 - Brunswick East

Templeton -

'I'm sorry it's so cold today. If he wasn't such an ass we could've stayed closer to home'

I say this to my two week old daughter as she lays in her pram-carriage, fast asleep with her thumb in her mouth. It's amazing, how well my ignorance has been for my whole life when my best friend has three babies and I have a younger sister. I didn't think infants could suck their thumbs until they were a few months towards a year old, but here Freyer is.

The wind suddenly blows colder as I wrap my large coat around my body. I make sure to stay directly in the sight of several surveillance cameras and people at all times now, and never in closed spaces. Especially with my daughter.

I watch as he carelessly pulls up alongside the kerb in his silver BMW, and stops in the car park, leaning across and opening the door.

'Get in. We're too close to work right now and somebody may see us' he says, looking around, paranoid.

'Get in? I don't have Freyer's car seat thing!' I exclaim in a hushed voice, as I also dramatically look around. He sighs.

'Does she need it?' He asks, annoyed.

'It's the law!' I yell, looking at him like he's crazy. He continues to obnoxiously chew his gum, not once taking his dark sunglasses off.

'Well, I'm not risking being seen by another student or especially a staff member around here and if my car's not safe enough you're gonna have to get yourself to the destination with her' he says.

'Where are we going, Jason? I thought you were going to meet me in a cafe or something' I say.

'You could head back to my apartment in Brunswick East...although if my brother drops in that would be a hard explanation' he says.

'Jason! It's freezing out here and I have a two week old baby!' I yell.

'Alright, alright, just stop saying my name so loudly. Look, here's my house key, just head back there and stay inside with the baby. I'll try and finish up early and get back from the University around 4:30...I'll have to reschedule some appointments and meetings but I guess these things happen' he says, as he takes his house key off his lanyard and passes it to me.

'That's a weird key art design' I say, turning the key over between my fingers as I look at the strange superman logo printed on the jet black key. Most people would just have silver or gold, but okay then Jason.

'I'm in apartment 18. Try to avoid apartment 10, that's where my brother lives. That pretentious spying prick' he says, as he looks around. I notice one of his phones sitting on his thigh and the other plugged into the car stereo. He looks like a walking Apple advertisement.

'No worries. By the way, what did you do to your hair?' I ask.

'I...coloured it. I'll explain later. I have to go, I recognise that group of students over there' he says, looking backwards as he shifts the gear stick into drive.

'I'll see you later' I say.

He looks back at me, giving me a fed up expression as he drives away.

...

Adeline -

'Adeline Curnow has been contacted for an official comment, but is yet to give one. Sources say she and Charlie are on the verge of divorce, after he was publicly caught cheating with a young divorcée from Greensborough, Madeline Emmett. The two were involved in a night of drinking at a nightclub in Melbourne's Inner East. Adeline Curnow is still yet to make comment'