Tricia Stringer The party’s over!

Felicity Lewis paused a minute to take it all in. It was a balmy night in Adelaide; the temperature had dropped just enough for perfect outdoor entertaining. At number 17 Herbert Street, West Beach, two streets back from the ocean, a party was in progress. Behind Felicity the carefully selected mood music resonated from the curved teak speaker, enough to be heard but not so loud people couldn’t hear themselves speak.

The speaker sat on the polished shelf below their wall-mounted television in the big open-plan family room that stretched almost the full width of the back of the house. The glass doors to the deck were all thrown open. Around her milled friends and family enjoying the food she’d cooked and the drinks she had selected.

An arm slipped around her waist. “Everything looks fabulous, Mum.”

“As do you.” Felicity beamed at her daughter.

Greta lifted her phone and leaned her head against Felicity’s. “Selfie.”

“Where’s Suzie? I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I told you, Paul took her to America for her birthday.”

“No you didn’t.” Greta frowned.

“They’ll be gone for two months.”

“How will you manage not seeing her for that