Page 62 of Even Ground

“I love you, too, my favourite tamahine.”

I laugh. “I’m your only daughter.”

“Still my favourite.”

She places a kiss on my cheek and hugs me tight. “Be safe on the road.”

“I will.”

It’s always hard to leave Mum, but at least I can see her a bit more often now I’m living in the North Island. When I lived down south, I didn’t get to see her very much.

The thought of the three hour drive back doesn’t exactly fill me with joy, but the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll get there.

I’m nowhere near as tired as I was when I got here, but my thoughts still linger on Reece. At some point I’m bound to see him again. Will things be the same between us, or will it be awkward.

As nice as that kiss was, I’m still undecided about whether it was a good idea or not.

* * *

All the way home, the sunshine and a soft breeze keep me company. I’ve never been so happy to turn into my driveway and pull into the carport next to my flat. I unlock the front door and unload my bags into the living room.

My bed beckons to me like a giant white marshmallow, and I drop onto the duvet, face first, and let out a long groan.

This tiny apartment isn’t much, but it’s home for the next three years.

It’s hard to reconcile the past couple of weeks with that, but for the moment, I have to settle into student life.

After I flick off a quick text to Mum and Delaney to let them both know I’m home, I lie on my back on the bed and close my eyes.

My stomach gurgles, reminding me I’m going to have to fill it at some point. I didn’t get anything to eat on the way home, but there’s meat in the freezer, and I have a few potatoes. Tomorrow, after class, I’ll go shopping.

Delaney: Skype?

I grab my laptop from beside the bed and plug the charger in. It takes a moment to come to life—it’s not the newest thing around, but when it’s loaded I text her back.

Me: Call me.

The call comes up, and I click accept.

Delaney’s face appears, filling up most of the screen.

“Woah! That’s way too much you. Back up a bit.” I laugh.

“Sorry. Just getting used to this new setup. Josh replaced my laptop again after Melly dropped a drink on it. All that money and the damn thing still wasn’t waterproof.”

I laugh. “I hope you had your data backed up.”

“It’s all in the cloud. You’d be so proud of me.”

“I’m so proud of you. What’s up?”

She leans back a little and smiles. “I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. How was your trip home? How’s your mum?”

“Mum’s great. The trip was long. I just got back to Auckland today, and I’ll be cooking up something to eat before falling asleep in front of the TV.”

“Sounds perfect. I miss you.” Her brows knit, and I can’t help but tear up a little. For years, we were in each other’s pockets apart from the year she spent in the US when we were eighteen. Being there for the wedding and spending time together afterward doesn’t make up for no longer having my best friend on tap.

“I miss you too. What have you been up to?”

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