Page 82 of Under Ground

Josh chuckles. “Woah. Let’s just get there first, girls.” He shoots a glance at me. “We are nearly there. Delaney’s made sure there’s a bed if you need it.”

“I’ve slept for hours, but I feel like I’ve barely slept at all.”

He nods. “I know that feeling. Travelling like that takes a lot of getting used to.”

We slow and turn into a driveway. The gate slides open and I gape at the house in front of me. It’s so big and beautiful.

I’m used to my small flat, but this house is everything I’ve ever dreamed of. There are two storeys of cream stucco with wide steps leading up to the front door. The garden’s in bright bloom, and it just looks all so perfect.

“You have a beautiful home,” I say.

Josh pulls over in front of the house and shrugs. “Thank you. It was never a home until Delaney made it one.”

I sigh a little at how much he obviously loves his wife.

He gets out of the car and walks around to open my door. The kids scramble out of the back just as the front door of the house opens.

Delaney Carter isn’t exactly what I pictured.

Of course, I googled her after we spoke, but I imagined a glamorous woman who was totally Hollywood.

Instead, she greets us, dressed in a long, flowing dress with a baby on her hip at the door, her hair scooped into a messy bun. There doesn’t seem to be a speck of makeup on her face, and she’s just so … normal. I love it.

“Hi, guys. It’s so good to see you.” She beams a radiant smile at us. “Come in, Lana. You must be dying for some real food.”

“I would kill for a coffee.”

She laughs. “You don’t have to do anything that extreme. I have plenty. Pania’s inside making some for all of us.”

Josh swoops the baby out of her arms and tickles her under the chin. He leans over and gives his wife such a loving kiss, my cheeks heat up.

Delaney watches him enter the house and then turns to me, fanning her face with her hand. “I love watching him with Addison. It’s so hot.”

“Mummy, we’re back,” Amelia sings.

Delaney’s eyes light up at the sight of her daughter. “So you are. I missed you.” She leans over slightly. “You must be Casey. Melly’s been very excited about you coming.” Delaney shifts her gaze to me. “We’re so happy that you’re here.”

“I’m glad to be here.”

“Then let’s get inside so you can get that coffee and put your feet up. I don’t know about you, but that flight exhausts me.”

And with that, relief washes over me.

This is a scary time for me, having made such a big decision. But the ease with which we’re welcomed into Delaney and Josh’s home gives me more comfort than it probably should.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ve found a friend.

* * *

And the coffee is amazing.

I lean back on the couch and moan at how good it is.

Their house is insane. It’s big from the outside, but it’s not until you step in the front door that you realise just how large it is.

We were ushered up the sweeping stairs to a more homely part of the house that looks lived in—not the pristine entranceway.

A lounge about as big as my old flat is warm and comforting. A huge TV sits at one end of the room, and two three-seater couches sit opposite with recliner chairs nearby.

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