For All Eternity

Mummy

Dianne freed herself from Joe's arms, sick of feeling like she couldn't move. Or breathe. Her cold had seemed to reach a climax in the hours she had been lying there trying to fall asleep and she couldn't lie there deep breathing any longer. She stumbled to the cases, picking out a jumper that didn't belong to her, and then left the room, looking back to see Joe who appeared to be peacefully sleeping still. Dianne hadn't ever lived in this house for more than a few months, her parents moving just before she turned 19 and flounced off to the big city. Still, it felt like home though. They had the same furniture and it smelt the same. As soon as she had got past the bedrooms she leaned against a wall and let out the cough that had been threatening to escape for far too long. Dianne winced, not because it was painful, more because it was so loud that she could almost bet it had woken someone up. Eventually, when her almighty coughs, that somewhat took over her body, had died down she walked to her favourite chair and sat down, pulling one of her mum's decorative throws over her legs.

The Australian's mind was buzzing, as it often was, filled with choreography and ideas for videos. She was by no means a night owl and most people who knew her knew her creative mind switched off past 10pm, but in the rare moments where insomnia took a hold, she found her mind often plagued with creativity. That or worry and doubt, depending on the day. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to match up any of the steps with parts of the Joe and Dianne Show that she was yet to choreograph. Succeeding she and made a mental note of the sequence before opening her yes. In time her her gaze fell on the bright moon outside that was bathing the kitchen in enchanting silvery light.

Since she was young the moon had always intrigued her. Her Dad always told stories of watching the race to the moon and the moment he watched man walk on the moon for the first time when he was in his teens. It interested her when she was young because it always seemed to follow her wherever she went. She could recall driving through the bush, or along the coast, coming back from camping somewhere and looking out of Brendan or Andrew's window to see the moon following their car along the twists and turns of the road in front of them. As she got older the moon felt like a watchful eye, as she walked home from parties later than she should have been out. Or later on in her life when she commuted from the venue she had been performing at to her hotel or equivalent lodgings. Dianne could remember the comfort it brought her, as she focused on it, chin balanced on her knees, knowing that her parents looked at the same moon. So much comfort that she had told Connie, one night when she had received a teary voice note, to look at the moon when she missed her and that she would be doing it in return. 'Tell the moon I love you,' she had said tears brimming in her own eyes, 'tell the moon I love you; and it will pass it on to anyone you wish Connie.'

"Dot? What are you doing up?"

Dianne smiled, turning to look at her dad, book tucked under his arm, "couldn't sleep, bloody cough."

"Fancy some company?" he asked, filling up two glasses of water. Dianne knew her Dad would often sit up and read when he couldn't sleep. She nodded, taking the glass off him.

"Anything else keeping you up?" He had put his hand on her arm and Dianne was pulled back to a specific moment years previous. It had been just before she moved to the UK to tour with Giovanni, before the call about strictly. They had been sat in the back of a taxi, on their way to Perth Airport from her old apartment, Rina driving their tiny car with all of her bags. He had put his hand on her arm, and with a tear glinting in his eye, had reminded her how much they loved her, how proud they were of her and how incredible this opportunity would be.

"No, just this cold. What about you? Anything keeping you up Daddy?" She kept that name for the moments they were alone, just them.

"Mum's snoring," he joked, "nah, nothing. Are you having a good time here?" Mark had felt like he had missed out on alone time with his daughter since she had been here, her time having been consumed by her mother, Joe or the little girl.