Homecoming

In 2018, Jess arrives in Sydney and finds the blue skies and sunshine to be a jarring contrast to London’s gray weather. As Jess pulls her luggage up the driveway to Nora’s home, Darling House, she remembers doing the same as a child, alongside her mother, Polly. At the time, Jess didn’t know that she would be staying in Nora’s house for the next 10 years. Now, she moves through the yard to the fountain, the same place she gravitated toward as a child after Polly left her and moved to Brisbane. The day Polly left, Nora told Jess that she and Polly lived at Darling House for the first three years of Jess’s life. Even as a baby, Jess loved the fountain. When the young Jess cried over Polly’s departure, Nora shared memories of her own childhood, when she was often left alone by her own parents.

Jess hasn’t thought of this in years, but it makes sense that the memories have returned. Over the years, she worked hard to release her anger at Polly. After her mother left, Jess’s own departure was delayed, month by month, until living with Nora became a permanent arrangement. When Jess was much older, Nora told her about an incident that occurred when Jess was a baby.