Back to him? He’s actually considering it, after everything we went through?

‘Who wants coffee?’ I hear my grandmother call from the kitchen. ‘Is Sky up yet? Shall I go wake her?’

Adam finishes his call. ‘Within the hour, yes.’

I walk back up the stairs as quietly as possible, and then, to give it a natural feel, skip down the stairs so when I appear in the living room I don’t look like I’ve been eavesdropping.

My father jumps up, looking guilty. ‘Morning, Sky!’

‘Oh good,’ Miriam says. ‘Sleeping beauty. Would you like some tea, dear?’

‘Yes please.’

My grandfather smiles at me. ‘How did you sleep? Come sit down.’ He moves up the couch, patting the space next to him. I plonk myself down in between him and my father.

‘Amazing,’ I say. ‘How about you?’

‘Me too.’ He pats my shoulder warmly. ‘Must be the clean air. I always sleep like a baby when I’m out of the big city. How’s the air in Sydney? I imagine the Pacific must blow some of the smog off the coast.’

We compare notes about Chicago versus Sydney air pollution, and he asks me about West Creek and what it was like to move to a small town. It’s small talk, but it feels good to talk to him and I’m happy he’s interested.

My grandmother swans in, elegant in cream pants and a grey silk blouse, with a tray of coffee and tea. I offer to help, but she insists I stay seated. I add some sugar to my cup and stir.

‘What did he offer?’ my grandfather asks my father, and I feel the room go still.

‘Not now, Dad.’

Miriam returns to the kitchen.

‘Sky is old enough to be part of this discussion,’ Mike says. ‘You understand, don’t you, doll? Your father makes a living doing something you don’t agree with, I get it. But that’s not new. How many kids don’t like what their parents do? Think I liked my father being a janitor at my own school? That it wasn’t humiliating as a kid? Them’s the breaks, so they say. Can’t choose your family. Your father here, well, he had some words about my business dealings. Didn’t you, Adam? That was before he quit without notice, leaving my team in the high and dry.’

My father sighs.

‘We had one development due to clear a few fields. Adam almost ruined it during the meeting with partners, started talking about some endangered lizard; what was it, a skink?’

I’m not sure what to say. Ironic that Adam disagreed with his father about animals too. But this is totally different. I’m an animal lover and my father’s a hunter. Slightly more extreme than what he’s talking about. The chasm is massive, not small.

‘So, what did he offer?’ Mike presses.