The excitement of getting engaged was taking over by the pressure of organising a wedding. We set a date for the first weekend in October of the next year. I would then be 18 so legal age to marry here in Australia.
Mum was excited for us and we spend copious hours looking at wedding dresses and everything needed for a wedding.
Grant came back one day and asked if I would like to move out with him. I was so confused. I knew I wanted too but I didn't want to rush in to it. I didn't want to leave Mum and Barry. I was scared the last time I moved out it didn't turn out well as you all know. My mind was racing while he stood waiting for me to get excited and say yes.
How would Mum cope being the only person bringing in any money? As Barry was still at school.
If they stayed in this house who would protect them from Jay?
I couldn't get excited, I couldn't leave them. Just as my brain was trying to process this Mum walked in.
"What's going on here then" she said with a smile.
"Grant just asked me to move in with him" I said with a tear in my eye.
"That's fantastic, you have to do it sooner or later" mum replied.
Grant had a smile on his face as Mum said this. I just wanted to run to her and hold her. I looked at Grant with a look that said "can you give me time with my Mum" and he read it well.
"I'll leave you to talk" he said as he walked out of the room.
I sat on my bed and Mum closed the door behind him.
"What's wrong sweetheart" mum said as she put her arm around me. I couldn't respond I just cried in her arms.
"Emily! We will be fine uncle J is going to move in with us, he can't stay in his flat he's getting to old and this way we can move to a nicer house and I can look after him" Mum said while rubbing my back.
Mum knew me better than anyone, she always knew what was on my mind.
"Are you sure Mum? I'm really scared" I responded
"Emily you have grown so much and Grant really loves you and you are getting married so it is better to do it now so you can see what it is like to live with him before you marry". Mum was always right in my eyes such a wonderful person.
So then and there I made the decision to agree to move in with Grant. I walked out and told him yes. He smiled and hugged me.
It only took us a couple of weeks to find a place not far from Mum. Mum also found a lovely house for her Barry and Uncle J.
The house we moved in to was a red brick 3 bedroom house and the last people that lived in the house obviously liked Indian as it really smelt of curry. I had to steam clean the carpets it was that bad. When the house got hot that smell came out and it was extremely strong. It was a nice house for the first one as an engaged couple. We had some good times there.
I hadn't met Grant's Parents or brother so he organised that we would go in and see them when they brought the cattle down for the Royal Easter show.
Leading up to this meeting I wanted to pull out. I was so nervous. I got a really nice pair of jeans and boots to wear to the cattle show. I had been there when I was younger and mum took us to the show but I had never known anyone at the show. I made sure that Ava was dressed beautifully as I wanted us both the make an impression.
We parked the car and walked through the show. Grant wanted to push the pram and I just wanted to take it off him so I could hide behind it. It was my protection like a baby and a dummy. No such luck. We arrived and as we went to walk in to the shed Grant walked ahead of me not stopping to look back. Now I was going to stand out...
I saw a larger lady step out and run up to Grant and give him a hug. It was his Mum, following closely behind was a larger man with a grey beard. I finally caught up and stood behind him. All of a sudden Grants mum came over and hugged me really tightly. To say I felt awkward was an understatement. I didn't know if I should hug her back or just stand there. I put my arms around her and patted her on the side. It was hard to wrap my arms around her as she was holding them down. Then followed Grants dad he just patted my arm "welcome to the family Emily" he said. Grants mum the moved swiftly back to the pram and grabbed Ava saying
"come to Grandma beautiful Ava" she said as she picked her up, I wanted to grab Ava and hold her, I felt a bit protective at this stage. Ava didn't cry she just smiled her little smile. Ava rarely cried and this time was no different.
I know this may sound strange but I didn't know these people and they were treating us like they had known us forever and when Grant's Mum picked up my child I wanted to grab her back. It felt really invasive but in the back if my mind I knew that these people would soon be family it was just really strange that people took to people so quickly. I was to learn that they were country people and this was their way.
We stayed there all night, we slept in a loft. This night one of Australia's top actors was there with his cattle. He was a whiskey drinker and he and Grant drank a lot that night. I was star struck he was so cute and one of my favourite Australian Actors (he has just left Home and Away but at the time he was in E Street). I went up to the loft at about midnight and Ava was already asleep in her pram. Grant didn't make it up.
The next morning at about 4am I was woken by Grant and his Dad
"come on Emily, time to get the cattle ready" well I didn't know then but I know now there is a lot of work that goes in to getting cattle prepared to be shown.
We shampooed them, blow dried and sprayed the with hairspray. Grants mum kept taking Ava for walks and showed her the other animals but she really didn't understand what she was being shown. Then Grant's Dad said "well you best do your hair Emily, you have to walk one of the bulls out and show him".
"No! I can't do that" I replied nervously.
He showed me and made me practice. Then I had to do it for real. Well the funny thing is I did really well and he won first place for beef cattle but when we walked out he stood on my foot. I was so embarrassed I wanted to scream but instead I kept walking as best I could and when we got back I took off my shoe and the top of my foot was so bruised. I felt like a real idiot. Those few days went pretty quickly and I felt a little more comfortable after this with Grants parents.
They had decided that we would marry at the property that they and Grant owned up in northern NSW ( not the best place for beef cattle). I had no choice the decision had been made and I didn't want to argue.
When we got home Grant spoke about the wedding and what we could do and where we could get married he tried to explain it to me but I could picture it I just nodded in agreement.
A few days later my dad brought his girlfriend over for a BBQ we will call her Tracey. She was lovely and had 6 children all living at home with her. She looked really frail. After a while we both went to the kitchen to get the salad ready. I asked her if she was ok and she said yes. She was nervous.
"If you ever need to talk please call me, I promise I won't say we have spoke to anyone" she looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"He's hit you hasn't he" I said to her but before she could answer Dad walked in to check what was happening. I just carried on and didn't say a word. I knew that look that she had as I had seen it and given it too many times. The evil was back...