Chapter Seventeen #2
Her cool gray eyes survey me, slightly puzzled. “You want to do that, even after what I’ve done?”
“I don’t want us to be enemies. You’re smart and resourceful, and you work damned hard. That’s the kind of energy we need at the Foundation.”
“And in return… you want me to retract what I said about you being drunk? And not announce I’m pregnant?”
We study each other for a moment.
“I’m not asking anything of you,” I say carefully. “I want us to be friends, that’s all.”
She’s still for a while. And then she leans back, a small smile on her face. “You really love her, don’t you?”
“I do.” And it’s true. I do love Chessie as a friend.
She sips her coffee. Then she says, “I’m not pregnant.”
I feel a huge sweep of relief. Holy shit. Thank God.
“Okay,” I say as calmly as I can. Sun, not North Wind. “Thank you for telling me.”
She bites her lip. “I know I shouldn’t have said that. It just really stung when I saw you there with her, and someone said you were planning to announce your engagement.”
“I understand. I’m sorry I hurt you. So… will you think about it?”
She sips her coffee, watching me. “Whose idea was it to bring me on board?”
“Honestly? It was Chessie who gave me the inspiration. She said to be kind, and it started me thinking about what we could achieve if we were friends rather than enemies.”
Sabrina looks away, across the coffee shop and out at the view of the street. I wonder whether that’s taken her by surprise. In our world, it’s common for people to be focused on themselves and not to care about others’ feelings.
Her gaze comes back to me. “All right,” she says softly. “I’ll do it.”
I hide my shock with a big smile. “I’m so glad.”
“And I’ll retract the statement about you being drunk.”
“That would be very nice of you,” I say carefully. “And we’ll make sure we have a photo taken of us shaking hands when you officially come on board.”
She meets my gaze. “It must have taken a lot of courage for you to say that today.”
“Chessie has inspired me to be a better person,” I say honestly. I wonder if she’s done the same to Sabrina?
“So what are your plans for the Foundation?” she asks.
I talk for a while about my long-term vision for it.
She listens and offers a few suggestions, which, with her insight into public relations, prove to be useful suggestions.
She explains how she does a lot of fundraising for Te Rangi Ataahua, and we talk about some ideas for projects we could work on together.
When I eventually check the time, it’s with some surprise I realize that an hour has passed. She’s smart and knowledgeable, and maybe because of her upbringing, she has a savvy side to her that I’m sure will prove useful in business.
“I’d better get going,” I say eventually. “I’ve got a few jobs to do, and then I’m meeting Chessie for dinner.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me today, and for listening, and being gracious.”
“I don’t know if that word is in my vocabulary,” she says with amusement. “But you’re welcome. And I do appreciate the apology.”
“Friends?” I say, holding out my hand.
She slides hers into it. “Friends.” She hesitates. “I’m glad you’re not angry with me.”
“Of course not.” Not anymore, anyway.
She releases my hand. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”
“I’ll be in touch soon.” I give her a smile and leave the cafe.
As I go out into the bright May sunshine, a wave of relief washes over me. I feel as if I’ve avoided a landmine.
Chessie was right. I’m sure some men might have gone in guns blazing, tried to force her to withdraw her announcement of being pregnant, accused her of being spiteful, maybe even threatened her. I’m not like that, but it would have been easy to let anger win.
Instead, we seem to have an uneasy peace, and I think that’s a very good start, and a lot more than I expected coming here today.
I get in the car and take the ferry back to Waiheke, then on impulse drive over to my parents’ house.
I still have a few hours before I have to pick Chessie up, and I haven’t seen my folks for a while.
They normally go to church on Sunday morning, then return home for Sunday lunch and a quiet afternoon, so I’m sure they’ll be at home.
Dad told me they’ve talked about divorce, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to them about it yet, so I don’t know how the discussion has developed.
When I arrive at their house, I park out the front, get out, and make my way around the side of the house to the back deck. I find Mum sitting there, looking out at the magnificent view of the Pacific, lost in thought.
It’s extremely unusual to find her doing nothing.
She’s one of those people who’s always on the move.
She’s a member of numerous institutes and groups, and she’s always working on her laptop or making phone calls to one of her many friends.
So it’s with some consternation that I approach her and say, “Kia ora, e te whaea.” It means ‘Hello, my mother.’
She turns and sees me. “Kingi…” She wipes her face. Oh fuck, she was crying.
“Hey…” I go up and give her a hug. “What’s up? What’s the matter?”
“I’m okay. Just a bit emotional.” She looks tired, which again is unlike her, as she normally has boundless energy.
I take the seat next to her. “Where’s Dad?” I’m guessing her current emotional state has something to do with him.
She drops her gaze. “He’s gone out.”
“Have you argued?”
She doesn’t reply, so I know I guessed right.
“Mama…” I frown. “What did you argue about?”
“He wants to stay together for appearance’s sake. He’s concerned about his public image.” There’s a touch of bitterness to her voice.
I understand Dad’s concern. When you run your own company, and your success relies on appearing in control, things like this can affect how people see you. It’s why Mikaere keeps on about being respectable. Image is everything. But she’s hurting, and I’m not going to say that to her.
“And you don’t want to stay together?”
“What’s the point?” She looks out to the ocean again. “The relationship is dead. And I don’t want to live the rest of my life like this. I’m only fifty-three. I want to be happy.”
“I understand.” My throat tightens. “You deserve that.”
“I do, and I deserve to be loved. He hasn’t loved me for a long time.”
I shift in my seat. It’s not easy to hear that about my father. I respect him and I look up to him. I don’t like hearing that he hasn’t been good to my mother.
“He must still love you if he wants to stay here,” I say.
But she shakes her head. “It’s all about appearances. Did you know that it’s been two years since he even kissed me?”
That shocks me. “Seriously?”
She meets my eyes then. “He’s having an affair.”
I stare at her. “I asked him if he was, and he said no.”
“He’s lying. He’s been seeing her for over a year.”
My jaw drops. “How do you know?”
“Kingi, a woman always knows. The secret calls, the texts, the sneaking around, her perfume on his clothes, receipts in his pockets… He’s not as careful as he thinks he is.”
I’m genuinely shocked. Fuck, I’m na?ve. I completely trusted him when he said he wasn’t cheating.
I sit back, not sure what to make of that information. I feel hurt and betrayed too, which is ridiculous when I’m not the one he’s cheating on, but I can’t help it. To deny it to my face… and to cheat on my mother… Anger rises inside me.
She notices, and her expression flickers with guilt. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Of course you should.”
“No, he’s your father, and you’re only getting one side of the story. Don’t do anything silly.”
She knows what I’m like. I take a deep breath and blow it out again. “What do you want?” I ask, leaning forward, my elbows on my knees.
She looks around. “I don’t know. I love this house. I’m comfortable here. And he’s the one who’s cheated. I think he should leave. But he refused. He said if I want a divorce, I need to be the one to leave.”
What a fucking mess.
“I’ll talk to him,” I tell her.
“No, Kingi…”
“I’ll talk to him,” I repeat firmly. “You’re right—he should be the one to leave.
He’s worried about the business, but this is the twenty-first century, and it’s not going to crumble just because he gets a divorce.
You deserve the chance to find happiness again.
” A tear runs down her cheek. “Ah, Mama, don’t cry, that kills me. ”
“I’m sorry,” she says, but she can’t help it, and she starts crying for real.
I pull her into my arms, feeling as if someone’s slid a knife into my ribs. There’s nothing worse than seeing your mother cry, especially when it’s your father who’s made her do it.
I will talk to him, and I’ll make him be the man and sort this out.
Fuck. Relationships are so complicated. While my mother sobs in my arms, I think about how relieved I am that I seem to have come to some agreement with Sabrina.
And then finally I think about Chessie, and how easy it is to be with her. She’s so calm. So kind. So down-to-earth.
When Dad first told me about the possibility of them getting a divorce, it felt like a symbol of my own determination not to settle down with one person.
But oddly, right now, I wish Chessie was at my side.
I feel that if she was here, we’d feel like a team.
We’d support each other. And it’s a nice feeling.
I lift my face to the breeze from the Pacific, and close my eyes.