‘Well, yeah,’ he says, picking up an empty water bucket and walking with me over to the stable tap. ‘I didn’t think you’d taken the shears to it yourself.’

‘You don’t think it’s too short?’ I ask, cringing as he uses his spare hand to ruffle it.

‘Nah.’ Kit grins. ‘It suits you.’

‘Is Tui around?’ I ask him, dipping my chin so he won’t see how much his compliment has pleased me.

‘Last seen causing trouble in the hay barn.’

I find Tui playing chase with Beavis up in the rafters, and splutter as a great wave of dust floats down to greet me. The hay smells sweet and pungent, and I don’t mind that it stirs up my memories today. Being around the horses is becoming easier with every day I spend here, and while Kit told me to aim for around ten this morning, as we would be leaving for Oamaru not long after that, I decided to come early on the off chance that Tui fancied another riding lesson.

‘Genie!’ she exclaims, sliding down over the bales on her bottom. ‘New hair. Wow.’

‘I had it all cut off,’ I announce proudly, bracing myself as she runs over and throws her arms around me. She’s always so ready to cuddle, and I’m always so grateful to receive said hugs.

I have learned that my half-sister is straight-forward when it comes to her likes and dislikes, and if she didn’t want me around, then I would soon know about it. Tui is not capable of being false – she simply isn’t made that way – and I find being around her refreshing as a result. Adults are so good at pretending, and since Anna’s death, most of them have been tiptoeing around me, acting as if they want to be there, when in reality my misery chokes them. I grew sick of being treated like an invalid months ago, but then it still angers me if anyone tries to make light of my situation or – even worse – tells me that it’s time to ‘move past’ my grief. They can’t win, I don’t let them, and so I guess it’s easier for them to be fake. That’s on me as much as them.

But Tui has no idea that Anna ever existed, and so she behaves exactly as she wants to around me, regardless of what I think. Kit isn’t all that different, either. While he is aware that I’ve lost someone I was close to, he hasn’t automatically smothered me in pity. I believe that he treats me exactly the same way he treats everyone – I’m not getting any preferential allowances made simply because my mum died, and I’m very grateful to him for that.

‘You look like a famous lady,’ Tui informs me now. Her own rather wild-looking hair is full of hay.