Mr. Khouri was right about those disturbances. They started rippling that day we went driving up the mountain, and then kept spreading—and lately I’ve been thinking that maybe they’re still going, even now.

It was the kind of morning where the sky was the same color as Port Phillip Bay; the whole world was blue on blue. And from the Arthurs Seat summit you could even see white sailboats bobbing in the water.

But as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, Anika jumped out and dashed to the toilets saying she thought she was going to be sick. Luca had followed her, and then came back to stand with us kids by the stone wall of the lookout.

“She’ll be right, just those bends took her by surprise,” he said.

Sam was playing with one of the coin-operated standing binoculars, gripping both sides and making rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat and brrrrrp! sounds, like he was in a shoot-’em-up game at Timezone.

When Anika finally wandered over to us, her face was as white as those sailboats, her glasses were all steamed, and she’d tied her hair up into a messy bun.

“Hey, guys, I’m so sorry—that’s not a very fun way to start our day.”

Luca reached for her hand and squeezed it, and then they smiled at each other. Sam kept gunning boats behind us, and I rolled my eyes—which of course Luca caught and frowned at me for.

“I don’t think I’ve got it in me to do the chairlift either,” Anika said.

Sam stopped gunning and turned around, frowning hard at his mom. “But you promised!” he whined and pushed his slipping glasses back up his nose.

I tried not to smirk.

“I know, babe, and I’m sorry. But I’m just not up for it today.”

Sam opened his mouth, about to whine more, but Anika cut him off. “Let Fred and her dad do one trip together, then when they come back Luca will do another one with you, okay?”

I looked away when Anika said that. She cleared her throat and said quietly to Sam, “Let Luca and Fred have their time together first, okay?”

“Well, wait a minute,” Luca said and held a hand up. “I’ve had plenty of goes on this thing—and this is Sam’s first time, so why don’t the two of you just ride together?”

Luca was looking at me when he said it, and I could see it all right there in his eyes—asking for one big happy family. Play nice. Be polite. I nodded my head and shrugged, then felt Luca’s hand land on my shoulder, squeezing as he said, “Good girl, Freddo.”