“A what, sorry?” I sniffled, my nose still running.

“A honu.” She pointed to Maui.

“Oh, that’s what it’s called? In Hawaiian?”

She nodded. “They are very special—they are guides, for your life. A honu will show you the way and keep you on your path.” I liked the sound of that—I needed some of that.

She patted me on the arm and looked into my swollen, red eyes with her deep brown ones. “It will be all right,” she said, and I can’t explain it, but calm washed over me. I nodded and smiled. She smiled back, then she left me and my honu to get on with the business of finding my path and making it all okay.

I’m not sure how many grown women get on flights with giant stuffed animals, but the flight crews on the island hopper to Honolulu and then on the long-haul flight to Sydney didn’t bat an eye. I was glad; Maui was good company and he smelled like Josh.

When the plane touched down on the tarmac at Sydney airport, I reached for my phone and turned it on.

A slew of messages arrived in quick succession.

Lindsey:

Nick is picking you up. Text him when you’re through immigration. Can’t wait to see you and hear all the juicy goss.

I wasn’t sure how juicy Lins would find the whole “Josh and I broke up and I’m miserable” thing, but I also couldn’t wait to see her—to get a hug and a stiff drink and a heavy dose of Lindsey comfort.

Cat:

So???? How was it? FaceTime me. Soon! I want details.

Maybe I could FaceTime Cat from Lindsey’s, so I didn’t have to repeat every excruciating detail.

James:

Flights are booked. See you in two weeks, beautiful!

While that message would normally have made me jump up and down with delight, the timing was atrocious. I would have to analyse how I felt about James’s upcoming work trip to Sydney later—much later.

Then this one:

I miss you already. I’m so sorry about how we left things. I need to go home and think it all through, but don’t make any big decisions yet, okay? And let me know that you got home safely. Love, Josh xx

Okay, so maybe we hadn’t broken up.

PART THREE

Chapter 18

“So, the old guy is coming in two weeks and you and the young guy are in love?”

Nick, who was in “annoying big brother” mode, was driving me home from the airport. Well, more precisely, he was driving me to his and Lindsey’s house, so I could see my cat. I hoped Domino liked Maui as much as I did.

I was also staying the night. Lindsey had insisted after I’d texted her from Sydney airport. Apparently, she didn’t want me to be alone after what had happened between me and Josh. To be frank, I didn’t want me to be alone either. The plane ride, with only my thoughts and Maui for company, had been hard enough.