Hopefully this journey is the first of many.
Dinner and the sea air are a winning combination for two sleepy teenagers and their younger brother.
By the time we get back to our room, the light is fading and Jason’s dead on his feet.
“Today was awesome,” he says as I tuck him into bed.
“I’m glad you had fun.”
“Can we come back here again?”
I smile. “We can. And we can see lots of other places. Tomorrow we’ll be in Wellington, and we’re spending a whole day there so we can go to the zoo.”
His eyes widen. “What animals do they have?”
“Oh, lions and tigers. Monkeys and meerkats. Lots of animals.”
His smile is so tired. “I’m so excited.”
“I love you.” I lean over and kiss him on the forehead.
“Love you too, Mummy. Today was the best day ever.”
“We’re going to have a lot of good days from now on.”
With a final kiss, I leave him and his sisters to sleep and close the door as I walk back into the living room where Noah sits with a coffee waiting for me.
“Today took a lot out of them,” he says.
“It took a lot out of me.” I laugh. “We’ll all sleep well tonight.”
I take a seat and pick up my coffee.
“So, where next?”
I raise an eyebrow at Noah. “Tomorrow, the ferry, and then …”
“No, where are we staying next?” He laughs.
When I planned the trip, he was still working as many hours as he could, so he’s not across all the details.
“Oh, Wellington. We’ll stay two nights there as I want to check out the zoo, and then I thought we’ll do the last bit of the drive uninterrupted.”
He nods. “That sounds like a good idea. Jason will be over the moon.”
I smile. “I told him tonight. He’s very excited. We’ll leave the following day, and we’ll stop along the way to take breaks, but I like the idea of arriving in Napier and settling into the Airbnb.”
“I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again.”
I laugh. “I’ve got my brand-new bed to sleep in. But I get it. I’ve got a few houses to look at next week. The real estate agent I’ve been dealing with seems nice.”
Noah leans back and lets out a sigh. “I’ll still be around. But I was looking at jobs online last night and there were a couple that looked good.”
Reaching for his forearm I give it a squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll find something.”
“Maybe my dad?”
His eyes are so full of hope. I want this so badly for him, but I want it to go well. I’m not sure how either of us will cope if we connect with Caleb and he rejects Noah.
