Chapter 1 
‘Please, please, please, Aunty Sonia.’
The children’s voices got louder as they tried to outdo each other. 
Four year old Lily Brown folded her arms and stared at her surrogate aunt. ‘You have to come to the beach because we need to be looked after.’
Sonia looked down at her as her goddaughter’s cute little lips pursed in disapproval.
‘And you have to get your swimmers and a towel,’ Tommy, her twin, chipped in. ‘If we go into the water and go over our heads you’ll have to rescue us, ‘cause if you wear a dress you won’t be able to save us.’
‘And we’ll get drownded!’ Lily piped up, seeing another way to convince Sonia to come with them.
Sonia folded her arms and looked to her sister, Sally, for help. ‘Maybe Aunty Sally could go instead? She could have a turn.’
‘No, we want you to come. Like you did when you came to visit us at our beach at home. We built that sandcastle, remember?’
 ‘It’s okay, Son. Kids, leave Aunty Sonia to eat her brekkie in peace.’ Rosie pointed to the two empty chairs beside her in the café overlooking the northern end of the beach. ‘Come and finish your eggs and then we’ll worry about what we’re going to do today.’
Even though it was still early, not yet eight o’clock, the world famous beach beneath them was already getting busy. The early summer sunshine glistened on the small surf as it crested in a wavy lace of foam before pushing its way to the wide expanse of sand. The tide was low and already small groups of children were playing in the shallows as the water receded. Seagulls squawked overhead before they settled on the footpath, squabbling over food scraps that unwary diners threw to them.
‘Rats with wings,’ Sonia muttered as she tried to think of a way out of going to the beach. She lifted the edge of the top pancake on her triple stack and let the maple syrup drizzle onto the berries, bananas, pistachios and ricotta cheese.
‘That looks yummy,’ Sally said. ‘But huge. I don’t think I could get through it.’
Sonia frowned, hearing implied criticism in her sister’s words. ‘I’ll need energy to get through the day looking after this pair.’
‘I wasn’t having a go at you, love.’ Sally lifted her coffee cup to her lips. ‘Come on, Sonia. The kids would love you to go to the beach with them.’ She lowered her voice and stared at her. ‘You went to the beach in Hawaii, didn’t you? Why can’t you take them now?’
Sonia whispered as the children sat at the other side of the table. ‘You take them for a swim.’
‘I have a busy—and stressful— day ahead. Sol and I are going to his parents’ house for a visit.’ Sally narrowed her eyes and stared at her twin. ‘Why don’t you want to go to the beach here anyway?’
‘I didn’t know anyone on the beach in Hawaii, so it didn’t matter there.’
‘What didn’t matter?’
Sonia rolled her eyes at Sally.
Honestly, weren’t twins supposed to have some connection when they knew what the other one was thinking or feeling?
Ignoring Sally’s question, Sonia smiled brightly and looked across at her godchildren. ‘How about we do something different? Something really, really special.’
‘Like what? Not girly stuff.’ Tommy’s voice was laced with a healthy dose of suspicion. His chin was equally laced with egg yolk, and Rosie leaned over and scrubbed at it with her napkin
Sonia grinned at him and thought quickly. ‘How about the movies?’
‘Nope, we want to go to the beach,’ he said. ‘It’s hot and sunny.’
‘Yes, it’s hot.’ Lily picked up a napkin and fanned herself reminding Sonia of dear old Aunt Aggie. ‘I want to have a swim. With Aunty Sonia.’
‘No one is going anywhere on an empty stomach.’ Rosie wagged her finger and the two small children picked up their forks and continued eating.
Sonia put her head down, and focused on her meal, trying to think of a way of getting out of going down onto Bondi Beach with the kids.
‘Just like the old days, isn’t it girls?’ Sally looked at the buff tanned surfers walking past the open air café heading for the rocks where they’d jump into the water, with their boards, paddle out and  catch the waves.
‘The old day sans kids,’ Rosie said with a wry smile.
‘You wouldn’t have it any other way, Rosie.’ Sally looked at the children with a smile and Sonia could read her thoughts. She was thinking about the children that she and Sol would have, and Sonia suspected it wouldn’t be long after their planned Easter wedding.
Rosie and her husband, Taj, had an appointment at the solicitor’s office mid-morning. Sonia had agreed to look after the four year old twins when Rosie had asked her last night. When she’d been in Hawaii last month, she’d had a great time with the kids, but fought the maternal feelings that had risen.
She would be a godmother, and an aunt to her twin’s children one day, but Sonia doubted that she’d ever be a mother herself, as much as she would love to be. She pushed the thoughts away; it was times like that she was pleased that Sally wasn’t in tune with her mind. Sonia took great pride in how clever she was in creating the persona that she hid behind. Loud, confident Sonia, in her brightly coloured tent dresses with her jangly bracelets, multicoloured toenails and toe rings, and her ability to have fun wherever she went. Looking to get laid in Hawaii, she’d told Sally on the phone when she’d set her up with Sol.
If only they knew.
Up until a couple of years ago, she’d even changed her name every few months to keep everyone on their toes, but since her last name change—Ocean Lily—at Aunt Aggie’s funeral, she gone back to being plain old Sonia.
Yep, plain old Sonia, she thought.
‘What are you thinking about Son?’ Rosie leaned over and touched her arm. ‘You look sad.’
‘No, not sad.’ She flashed a wide smile around the table. ‘I was just thinking about dear Old Aunt Aggie. And it made me think, it’s time to see what’s coming up for us gals!’
As Sonia turned and called the waiter over, Sally glanced at her watch. ‘I’ve only got half an hour. Sol’s picking me up here soon.’
‘Me too. Taj and I are going straight the Mr Pepper’s office from here.’
‘Half an hour gives us plenty of time to read the tea leaves,’ Sonia said as the waiter came over. ‘Could we please have a pot of tea—a large one and three tea cups with saucers, Mitch?’
‘Certainly, Madame.  Anything else?’ He looked around the table but his gaze lingered on Sonia. Sally nudged Rosie and they giggled like teenagers.
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