Today’s the day of Adam and Lily’s little ceremony, the one they’ve been planning since Rose was born.

It’s a Māori tradition to bury the placenta and umbilical cord of your baby. It symbolises the relationship between the child and the place of their birth, but for Adam and Lily, it’s also about finding each other again and forming their family. Adam bought this house with the garage when he came home, and it’s their first family home. One they plan on being in for a long time.

Doing this seems so appropriate for their situation.

Knowing what they’ve been through has helped give me confidence that I can do the family thing too. And so far, so good.

Ginny’s in the car with me on the way to Adam and Lily’s, with Ava in the back seat. A little voice sings the Dora the Explorer theme at the top of her lungs. It was the last thing Ava saw before we got in the car.

Ava’s been with me for four months, and in that time, her self-confidence has grown. She rarely speaks about her parents, but sometimes she slips them into the conversation. Usually when I’m saying no to something Cara apparently used to say yes to. If she’s testing boundaries now, I hate to think of what she’ll be like as a teenager.

“We’re here.” I pull up outside. The driveway’s full, with Drew’s car, Corey’s truck, and … “Huh.”

“What’s up?” Ginny asks.

“That’s Dad’s car. Hell must have frozen over.”

She nudges me with her elbow. “That’s not nice.”

“Maybe not, but it’s true.” I lean over and peck her on the lips. “Let’s go do this. Ava, are you excited to see Max and Rose?”

“And Luckyyyyyyyy,” she yells.

“Even Lucky.”

She’s so noisy, but it’s music to my ears.

Ava’s happy.

We all get out of the car, and I grab the bread from the back seat. We’re having a barbecue for dinner, and that’s my contribution.

Ava holds out her hands to both of us, and Ginny and I take one each, swinging our arms as we walk in the gate. As we reach the deck, I come to a complete stop.

“What are you doing?” Ginny laughs.

I nod toward the chairs. “Look.”

On the deck and overlooking proceedings are my parents. Both of them.

Mum sits in a chair, a shawl around her shoulders. She’s looking more frail than last time I saw her, but that was in the comfort of her home and not sitting outside in a warm breeze.

Lily walks toward us, smiling widely. “Hi, guys. Ava, Max is just inside playing games with Corey if you want to go and see them. Your grandad’s in there too.”

“I’ll take you.” Adam comes up behind her, and Ava follows him in.

“What’s going on? Mum’s here?”

Lily nods. “I called them. Today is a special day, and I kept hearing how she’s going downhill. What she did to Adam and me was unforgivable, but we need to set that aside for the kids. She’s likely to have only a few months left, and they should be able to get to know her.”

Ginny grasps Lily’s arm. “That’s a lovely gesture.”

“It’s not easy. We’ll be planning our wedding soon, as Adam’s therapy isn’t so frequent now, and we’ll have a bit more money to spend on it. So, I figured it was time to try and mend a bridge.”

“That’s great,” Ginny says.

“Honestly, Ginny, I just want to marry him and be done with it. But we deserve something special.”

I slip my arm around Ginny’s waist. “Yeah, you both do. And I need an excuse to make another amazing cake.”

She laughs. “Yes. Now, go and see your mother and keep her entertained so I don’t have to talk to her. Once our ceremony’s over, she’ll move inside and spend some time with the kids.”

“That’s such a great idea. Are they coming out here for the ceremony?”

Lily nods. “I think it’ll be a bit boring for them, but it won’t take long, and then they can go back to playing.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I mount the steps to the deck, heading toward my mother.

“Hey, Mum.” I lean over and plant a kiss on her forehead before taking the seat next to her.

“Owen.”

“It’s good to see you here.”

She nods. “Lily called. I was surprised, but I appreciate the gesture.”

“We’re only missing James.”

Mum nods. “He said he’d come, and Lily arranged the weekend around his schedule. But I think he’s struggling a bit to prepare for his exams, and he wanted to stay in Auckland.”

“That’s a shame.”

“He’s a good boy. You all are.” She sighs. “I know they don’t really want me here, but I’m grateful to see my grandchildren. Max is such a delight.” Her eyes grow misty. “I’m only sorry I didn’t take the time to get to know him years ago. I’ll always regret it.”

“Have you told Lily and Adam that?”

She shakes her head.

“God, Mum, you’re so stubborn.”

Mum smiles. “It’s a trait more than one of my sons has inherited.”

I grin. “I think you’re right there.”

“You and Ginny make a beautiful couple.” Her change of subject catches me by surprise. “Marry that girl, Owen. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that life’s too short for regrets. No one knows that more than I do right now.”

I lean over, and wrap my arms around her frail body. “I will. If she’ll agree.”

“It’s very clear how much she loves you. And that little girl needs both of you.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“I’m glad you found someone. Now to sort out Corey.”

Letting go, I look into her eyes. “No one can sort Corey out, Mum.”

She laughs. “Maybe you’re right. He’s the most stubborn of all my boys. I’m so proud of all of you.”

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her like this. Maybe it’s because she’s resigned to her fate, but I’m so glad she’s not become more bitter and twisted than ever before. It’s been so many years since we’ve been together like this, back before Adam left. And now, our family’s become so much bigger.

If only we could be like this all the time.

It’s hard to think of a world without my mother. Even when we disagree, and her nasty streak comes out, she is always a stable in our lives. My brothers and I all always knew if we ever needed defending, she’d be our staunchest advocate. And even though we’re all grown up now, someone having that unwavering faith in us is something we’ve all appreciated at different times during our lives.

Mum’s no angel, but she loves us. Even if she has a funny way of showing it at times.

Ginny sits on my other side, and I reach for her hand, lifting it to my lips. She looks past me.

“Hi, Ginny,” Mum says.

“Hi, Mrs Campbell.”

Mum smiles. “Please, call me Joanna.”

Seeing them interact is wonderful. We haven’t spent a lot of time with both her and my father. Mum’s resting a lot these days.

“Love you.” I mouth it, and Ginny leans in, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Hey, you two.” We turn as Hayley walks out of the house behind us. I grin at the sight of her.

“Here.” I stand, offering her my chair.

She shakes her head. “I’m the size of a house. I doubt my fat arse would fit in that seat.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your arse.” Drew stands in the doorway, two beers in hand. “Take the chair.”

“Okay, Okay. I’ll just waddle over here.” Hayley winks as she makes her way past Ginny and sits beside Mum.

“Want a beer?” I ask Ginny.

She shakes her head. “Go and drink with your brother. I’ll catch up with Hayley.”

Drew holds a bottle out to me as I approach.

“How much longer?” I ask, nodding toward Hayley.

“Hopefully about five weeks. Hayley would be glad if it was over tomorrow, but if we can get her to thirty-seven weeks, we should be clear of any trouble.”

I smile. “I’m so happy for you guys. It’s what you always wanted.”

“When you know, you know. I’m really proud of you still being with Ginny.”

Nodding, I take a sip of my beer. “Like you said. When you know, you know.”

Adam’s palm lands on my back. “It’s time to go outside.”

“On our way.” Drew holds up his beer bottle, and I clink mine against it. “To family.”

“To family.” I grin as he grips my shoulder. “Everything is so good right now.”

“It sure is.”

Mum’s not steady on her feet, so we gather around her on the deck to watch.

“We had the land blessed this morning,” Adam announces. “So we’ll get this done pretty quickly and onto dinner.”

Mum looks up at me when I rest my hand on her shoulder, and I smile.

Ava runs to my side as the kids come out, and tugs on my other hand. I look down to see her with her arms up. Gathering her onto my hip, I lean my head against hers.

The flax basket containing Rose’s placenta is carried out by Lily. With Adam by her side, they both walk to the hole in the ground and gently place it in.

The tree’s planted over the top, and Adam, Lily, and Max kneel to push the dirt around the base of it. I laugh at the sight of Rose beside Max, patting down the earth and holding her dirty hands up in delight. For Adam and Lily, the symbolism is everything. This home was their new start, their chance to set aside the years apart and have their family the way they always planned.

When I think about all the years they lost, it makes me all the more determined to get things right with Ginny the first time around.

I shift my gaze to her, and she gives me a loving smile. I’d like to think that maybe one day this will be us. That one day we’ll need a bigger house for our family. I’ll give her the family she wants, one way or another. If we can’t have babies, maybe we can adopt. I don’t know.

What I do know is that I want my future to be with her.

After dinner, with Mum having gone home and everyone else inside, Ginny and I sit on Adam’s deck and watch the sun going down.

Today’s been amazing for so many reasons. My family’s united in a way I thought would never happen again, and Ginny and Ava are a massive part of that.

“Thank you for bringing me,” Ginny says. We’re on the edge of the deck, swinging our feet over the side. Ava’s watching a Disney princess movie inside with Hayley. I have no clue which one, but I guess at some point I need to work all that out.

“You’re part of the family. I’m sorry James couldn’t make it. Exam time must be pretty hardcore.”

“It is,” Ginny says.

“You’ll get to meet him either when he’s here for the holidays, or we can take a trip to Auckland.”

“Going to Auckland would be great once the babies are born. Drew and Hayley are going to need all the help they can get.”

I run my fingers through her hair. “They will. I can’t imagine how crazy their life is about to become.”

The light is fading, but I don’t miss her reaction. I’ve put my foot in it, and I know why, thanks to her mother. I don’t want to confront her with something she hasn’t confided in me, but the last thing I want to do is to hurt her.

Pulling her closer, I wrap my arms around her. “Our life is crazy enough now that we have Ava.”

I close my eyes as she rests her head on my shoulder. I’m not sure what her reaction to that is, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.

“Ava’s amazing,” she whispers. “So are you.”

“Must run in the family.” I chuckle, letting her go so I can look her in the face.

“Must do.” The corners of her mouth turn up. If I didn’t know what I do, I wouldn’t think she was fazed by what I’d said.

“Move in with us.”

She shakes her head.

“Why not?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s time.”

I sigh. “Ava and I are doing really well. We’ve got our routine sorted. Now all we need is you.”

She raises her hand, running her fingers down my temple. “Soon. You’re nearly there.”

“Nearly where?”

“You’ll see.”