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Back One Winter Morning Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. Read More
  55. Two Years Later
  56. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

When the slate-tiled tops of the stable buildings finally come into view up ahead, I am weary with fatigue. The ride and the river have stripped me of energy, and all I want to do now is find a soft bed somewhere and lie down. Perhaps I will curl up like a cat in the loft of the barn, rest my head on a bale of hay and sleep, secure in the knowledge that my sister is safe and back where she belongs.

‘Mummy!’

Tui has shot right up in her stirrups, holding Beavis tight under one arm and waving the other energetically from side to side.

‘Mummy! Mummy, look at me – I’m riding. Mummy!’

A woman is standing at the far end of the long driveway, her black hair shining in the dipping light of the sun. She had raised a hand to wave back at her daughter, but seeing me, she lets it drop. My legs are still propelling me forwards, but I can’t feel them. My knuckles are white on Ekara’s reins.

Bonnie takes a step towards us, but as she moves, a man comes into view behind her, shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand. I can see the glint of his glasses, the smooth sheen of his bald head, the familiar slant of his shoulders.

The two of them wait together side by side, and somehow, I continue to walk. I try to draw strength from Tui and Kit, but the truth is, I am in this alone. The secret is out, and everything that I have built since I got here is about to fall into disarray.

David is smiling at me, but Bonnie remains still, as if she cannot quite believe that I am here.

As we reach them, I open my mouth, determined to be the first to speak, but my birth mother beats me to it.

‘Hey,’ she says, her smile untethering as I return her gaze. ‘It’s nice to see you.’

‘And me, Mummy!’ interrupts Tui.

Bonnie softens as she glances from her first to her second born, then she looks back at me. Her eyes are so like my own, the same bright blue as the ever-reaching sky above us, the colour of possibility, and of hope, of everything I have come to believe since I arrived here.

‘Yes, Tui darling,’ she agrees. ‘I’ve been waiting a long time to see you both.’

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40

Before I can turn the hopeless jumble of emotions inside me into coherent words to use in reply to Bonnie, Kit has reached across to take Ekara’s reins from me, and Tui has slid untidily off Keith’s back to fling herself into her mother’s arms.

‘Mummy, oh Mummy!’ she cries, covering Bonnie’s face with kisses. ‘Where have you been, Mummy? I missed you. Did you bring me lots of presents and surprises?’