Terry was soaked in sweat. Wearing a South Sydney training vest, cargo shorts and his blundstones, he was busy in his new veggie garden. The team that looked after the gardens that Toni had laid out when she and Richie were living there were very helpful when he voiced his idea to them about growing his own veggies. They had advised just where it should go, and how big it should be; then wrote him a list of plants he would be able to grow, a rotation plan, and timings for planting and harvesting.

He’d turned down their offer to get the plot ready for him, wanting to do the hard physical work himself; it would keep his mind as well as his body occupied.

It was quite a large plot in the end as if he was going to do it, he wanted to do it right. At one end there was going to be a greenhouse, potting shed and tool shed, so he was going to lay paving there. That would be the first job once he had cleared the land; not that it was overgrown, but it had been semi pasture at the side of the plot the gardeners had chosen for his project.

Stopping to wipe the sweat from his eyes, he opened the eskie and took a bottle of water from the ice filled interior. Taking a long drink, he stretched and looked all around him. He’d managed to clear just over half of the plot, and was satisfied how the work was going. Looking up at the sun, he realised that he’d worked right through the hottest part of the day, and decided he should stop. There was always tomorrow.

Putting his tools away, he picked up the eskie and carried it back to the patio, collapsing onto one of a pair of steamer chairs he’d recently bought. Taking another drink, he sighed, lay back and closed his eyes.

He awoke with a start, angry with himself for drifting off in the first place. For a moment he wondered what had woken him so suddenly, then he heard a sound; it was his front doorbell.

Getting up stiffly, he made his way through the kitchen, picking up a towel en route to wipe the sweat from his face and neck. Looking through the glass panel of the door he smiled as he opened it.

"G’Day, Mrs. Bindi. What can I do for you?"

Meri smiled as she went to hug Terry in greeting, her smile faltering as he stepped back from her embrace.

"Sorry, no offence meant. It’s just that I’m all hot and sweaty."

Meri grinned and pulled him towards her, kissing him on both cheeks and wrapping her arms around his waist. "No worries, Terry. Nothing wrong with good honest sweat; and how many times will I need to tell you before you’ll call me Meri?"

Terry kissed her back and stepped aside to allow her to get through the front door. He liked her and thought Stevo and Jeff were lucky to have someone like her in their lives.

"Sorry…Meri. I promise to remember in future."

He noticed that there was a large bag just outside the door and looked at her. "Oh, I brought along a few things to show you."

Terry grabbed the bag and took it through to the lounge room.

"Take a seat, Luv. I’ll put the kettle on."

Bringing her drink in a few minutes later, Meri noticed only one cup. "Aren’t you going to join me, Terry?"

"In two ticks, I think I need to take a quick shower and put on something fresh. Make yourself comfy."

"Thanks, Terry. I’ll have a look round down here while I’m waiting if that’s okay."

Terry smiled and nodded as he loped off down the hall and ran up the stairs.