The short walk from the kitchen to the dining room table felt like the longest walk of shame in history. Kelly didn’t know whether to be pissed off with Paula or to thank her for opening her eyes. Either way it was time to re-evaluate her relationship.

Right then, though, her mind was set on being the more mature one of the two, and steering the conversation toward safer waters.

“Have you always wanted to be a photographer, Grace?” Kelly asked as she slid back into her chair.

Everyone breathed out at once, dispelling some of the tension in the room.

“Yep, my grandfather gave me my first camera when I turned eight. For the next ten years I drove my family crazy. Everywhere we went I had the lens to my eye, making my brother and parents pose and smile for the camera.”

“What about you?” Colette asked Kelly, disdain written all over her face. “Have you always dreamed of being a dish washer?”

Nicole whipped around so fast, her face was a blur. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Touched that Nicole jumped to her defence, but determined not to let Colette goad her, Kelly plastered on a smile.

“It’s okay,” she reassured Nicole. “My Dad used to take me in his truck with him and we’d stop at roadside diners along the way. The waitresses were always so nice to me, and I loved the ambience of café’s, so yes, I guess I did always want to work as a barista.”

As if she was on a personal crusade to get under Kelly’s skin, Colette tried again. “Wow, a truck driver, your family sure is ambitious.” She snorted. “Seriously, what kind of job’s that?”

The bitchy comment severed Kelly’s invisible line of tolerance. With no more fucks to give, Kelly nailed Colette with what she hoped was a look of utter contempt. “One that got him dead.”

There was no mistaking the warning look Paula shot Kelly, but the fact the look was directed at her and not Colette added to her resolve to continue.

“The funny thing is, my mother made him sell his death-trap, as Paula likes to refer to my Triumph, but it wasn’t enough to save his life. Ironically, he died cocooned in a metal cage.”

“Jesus, Kelly.” Paula exploded. “What’s got into you tonight? I’ve told you I’m sorry your father was killed. It’s still no reason to tempt fate.”

The way Paula said the word ‘killed’ felt like a punch to the gut. He died, passed-over, or more specifically, met his death when a massive bolder came down in the Manawatu Gorge and sent the huge double milk tanker plunging into the water below.

Nicole leaned in close, her shoulder brushing against Kelly’s. “I’m ready to go when you are.”