INSIDE THE CAR is ridiculously clean, as different from Lettie’s house as you can get. It even smells clean. I stand with the back door open, wondering if I should let Splints jump in.

“Well, come on!” Lettie’s behind the wheel, seat belt on.

Splints looks at me and wags his tail. I hesitate. Maybe I should put a towel down or something.

“What?” Lettie twists around, gives me her best bird eye.

“It’s so . . . clean.”

“No need to act so shocked. Put him in and let’s go!”

Splinter hops up and settles himself in the middle, his head poking between the front seats.

I climb in beside Lettie. She brings a hint of her house with her, wafting out of her clothes. I guess I’m getting used to it. It doesn’t make my stomach churn like it used to. She waits for me to do up my seat belt, checks her mirrors and we’re off, the car doing its quiet electric hum as we head toward the West Gate.

We’re out of the city before I think to ask where we’re going.

“Surprise.” Lettie gives me a side smile, her eyes all crinkly.

“Is it far?”

“Hmm, it’ll take us a couple of hours.”

She clocks my glance at Splints in the back. “Don’t worry, we’ll stop a few times for dog-face here.” She flips on the radio: something classical. “We’re taking a scenic route, so sit back and relax.”

Classical music. I’m not used to it. It’s nice. I stare out the window. Lettie stares ahead, concentrating. With no one watching me I’ve nothing to do. I watch the paddocks go by and zone out.

THE CAR SLOWING wakes me. “Where are we?”

“Geelong. I need a coffee. You want something?”

I shake my head.

“Stay here, then.” The door bangs. I’m vaguely aware of her coming back and letting Splints out. I crack my eyes open to see him wee against a small tree.

My door opens.

“Out.”

“What?”

“This dog of yours can ride next to me and you can lie down in the back.”

I don’t argue. It feels nice to lie down. I sink into a proper sleep. Not a listening-out sleep but a heavy, rocked, safe sleep.

I WAKE AS we’re driving into green. I sit up muzzy-headed and stare out at wet trees. Splints is sitting in the front with the seat belt on. He turns his head and waggles his eyebrows at me like this is the most normal day in the world.

“Good sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Excellent.”

I rub the crust out of my eyes. “Where are we?”

“About half an hour from Lorne.”

“No.” I gesture at the green out the window. “Where are we?”

Lettie smiles. “The Otway rain forest.”