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“I know it’s not my fault, but I am the eldest, and because of that I get to make this decision.”
“Alice, you’re not listening. I’m saying that neither of you have to give up everything for your mum. There are ways around it. I can help.”
“Kip—”
“I can try to find her boyfriend a job down here.”
“He doesn’t want to stay in Wellington—he’s working at the family firm in Auckland and quite happy about it, I believe.”
“But if he wants Charlie, he might be willing to change that for her.”
“She doesn’t want that.”
Jesus. These women.
“That still doesn’t mean you have to stop seeing me,” I tell her. “What we’re doing right now is working, isn’t it?”
“Not really, Kip. When you go, it kills me. I miss you so much. It’s so hard.”
“Then I’ll come up every weekend.”
“That’s not an answer. You’re tired anyway when I see you. Every weekend is going to kill you.”
“People commute all the time.”
“We’ve had this conversation. And anyway, even if you did do that, it’s not a permanent answer.”
“I thought we decided not to worry about the future.”
“All we’re doing is sticking our heads in the sand. At some point we’re going to have to come to the conclusion that it’s just not going to work. Your life is in Wellington, and mine is here.”
“It doesn’t have to be. I know Penny loves the house, but I’m sure she doesn’t love it so much that she wants to make her girls miserable over it. Move down here, and come and live with me. With your mum, I mean.”
“I… look…” She’s getting flustered. “Your house is on three floors. Practically half of it is stairs.”
“I’ll get stairlifts put in.”
“Christ, Kip…”
“I’ll fucking move! I’m not losing the best thing I’ve ever had when I know there’s a solution. I just haven’t found it yet.”
“Stop it!” she yells. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her raise her voice. “You can’t just throw money at this and make it go away. I’m not a problem to be solved, and you’ve got to stop trying to dazzle me with dollar signs. This is my decision, and I’m not making it lightly, or being browbeaten into it. Don’t bully me.”
That makes me stop in my tracks. “I’m not bullying you. We’re a couple, and we’re having a disagreement, so we’re discussing it, that’s all.”
“No, you’re trying to force me to see things your way. And I need you to see it my way.”
This is pointless. She’s not listening to me. She’s made her decision, and she’s going to see anything I say as me trying to convince her out of it. And maybe it is. But what’s the answer? I just roll over and accept we’re done?
“I love you,” I say simply. “And I don’t want to lose you.”
She doesn’t reply. I think she’s crying.
Just then, in the distance, I hear someone say, “What are you doing? Are you talking to Kip?” It’s Charlie.
“I’ve told him it’s over,” Alice says.
“No!” Charlie sounds distraught. “I’m not letting you do this!”
