‘You can’t understand because you don’t have your own kids.’

He flinched and I immediately regretted my words.

‘I’m sorry,’ I rushed, ‘that was uncalled for, but I wouldn’t be able to relax there anymore. It was torture being so far away after hearing about Payton’s accident. All I could think about was the worst—how I’d cope if she’d …’ I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. I’d lost one child and I never wanted to lose another. ‘But it’s not just Payton. Saxon needs me too and Adrian’s not in the best shape mentally at the moment. I think he’s got depression and maybe even addiction issues, so I need to be close and available for the kids.’

I expected Dan to say something about me not being able to wrap my children up in cotton wool, to tell me I was overreacting and being ridiculous, but instead he nodded. ‘I understand, and I respect you for being such a good mum, but what about your job at the cafe and the shack?’

He didn’t mention himself or the ball, but I knew he was thinking it.

‘I’ll miss everything about Ragged Point,’ I told him. ‘I’ve had the best time there these last couple of months, but it was only ever a stop-gap until I finished renovating the shack. Hopefully Wei and Meili will understand I can’t continue now, that my family has to come first.’

He nodded. ‘So the nest parenting thing is finished? You’re going for full custody?’

‘Yep. I guess I am.’ Decision made as I said it. ‘I’ll move back into the house full-time and the kids will probably go to Adrian on weekends or something. We’ll have to negotiate the exact details.’

‘You know, there is an alternative,’ Dan said after a long moment’s silence. ‘You could all come live in Ragged Point instead.’

‘What?’

‘You love living in the Point—you’ve got friends there, a job in the cafe, you enjoy working on the Reporter and you can continue to pursue your freelance writing from anywhere, so why not move Saxon and Payton up there? It could be the fresh start you all need.’

I let out a sigh. Although the idea appealed on a number of levels, it was also ridiculous. ‘Don’t you remember how much my kids hated Ragged Point? They found it dull enough for a holiday, but full-time? They’d never forgive me.’

‘Can’t say I don’t wish otherwise,’ Dan said as he pulled me into his arms, ‘but I get it. I do.’

Tears prickled my eyes as I clung to him. ‘So, I guess that’s it then?’

He lurched back. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, my life’s in Perth, yours is in Ragged Point …’ It felt like a serious case of right feelings, right person, wrong time.