As he went to find Helen and tell her they had no need to find the money for their son, it occurred to him that at no time during the visit had Kevin congratulated him on his re-election, or even mentioned it, while Leanne had phoned when the results were due and afterwards sent a card in which she, Rory and the two boys had all made enthusiastic entries. Pearly wondered if the offhand confidence of his son’s manner disguised the injurious realisation that he had failed to match Pearly’s own achievements.

‘He never challenged himself,’ Pearly said aloud as he went out into the bright heat of the section. Pearly hadn’t pushed his own interests on Kevin, encouraging him to find goals for himself, but his son just wanted an easy life. He had everything needed for success except the pressing need for success itself, and without that he’d surely fail. Pearly loved him, but found him increasingly difficult to understand. More and more distance was opening up between them.

Pearly stood by the garden where Helen was clipping back variegated ivy on the fence. ‘He didn’t get it,’ he said.

‘Kevin?’

‘Yeah. It went for bundle, evidently. Maybe for the best.’

‘You never really wanted to give him the money anyway,’ she said.

‘I offered him $50,000, didn’t I? That’s not small change.’

‘Only grudgingly, and he would have realised that. It’s always been Leanne for you.’

‘That’s not fair. He would’ve snapped up the money if he thought the auction price was okay, just as he took money before.’ She was right, though. It had been Leanne, if not always, then for a long time, but Pearly thought there was reason enough and that he’d made efforts to remain close to his son. ‘He’s chosen to go his own way,’ he said. ‘That’s natural.’

‘He’s like you in that at least, if nothing else.’

‘He never says anything much about what he’s up to. You said yourself we don’t even know if he’s got a girlfriend. We hardly see him.’

‘You always expected him to shine. Not everyone can shine,’ Helen said.

‘No,’ replied Pearly, ‘what I wanted was for him to give everything his best shot. That’s all.’