Ten Long Years

"I was just shocked, Mum. I wasn't expecting it."

"Son, you put wood in the fire, you have to expect it to burn."

I stood up and drew Skye into my arms. "We're going to need a bigger house."

She smiled, leaned in and we kissed.

Dylan asked. "What is going on?"

Skye knelt down beside him. "Sweetheart, how would you feel about having a little brother, or sister?"

The news spread like wildfire, and it meant another big family dinner.

Of course, the revelation changed everything. Sloane stated matter of factly, "Rory, I changed my mind. You cannot expect Skye to go running off to live in Auckland. She needs us, and well, bugger it. We need her."

Mum smiled, and Lila jumped on board. "Rory, Sloane's right, Honey. You are going to need your family, Skye will need us when the baby is born."

I could see by the expression on Skye's face, she was on their side. That was obvious by the hugs and hand holding. Christ, they were tight those three.

"Girls, this isn't just about Skye. Rory has a life, as well, and he needs to be on board with his decision."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mum. It's not just about living up there. I have a job, I have to make a living somehow."

Hank didn't help, I hoped the guys would be on my side. "Rory, with your skills, you could get a job here, easy. I could ask around, put feelers out on your behalf."

Mike was even more left field. "Rory, you could forget about work. Your bone carving is amazing. Sloane showed me pictures Mum took when she visited. You have talent. Sitting in an office all day, you're just wasting it."

"Easy for you to say, Bro, but bone carving would never pay enough."

Skye glanced across the table at me, and her expression said it all. She was sad, it was like she was being pulled in different directions.

With the party over, I sat with Dylan and we talked. "Dad, why can't you come and live with us? I don't want to move. I love Nana."

"But you enjoyed it in Auckland, you made friends."

"Yes, but I love Nana. Since Pop died, she is lonely. I see her crying all the time. She needs me."

Wow, I was stunned. I pulled him into my arms and we hugged. "Dylan, those are the nicest words ever, she does need you."

He smiled nervously as he added. "It would help if you were here. Nana always talks about you, how she misses you. I know I miss you."

"I miss you as well, Son. That's why I want you to come and live with me."

"But then Nana would have nobody, not even Mum."

We hugged it out, only to be interrupted by Skye who called out. "Dylan, it's time for bed, Son."

The rest of the holidays passed quickly, but it was impossible to hide from the situation. I wanted them to come and live with me.

Mum, who I thought would be the hardest to convince, was the only one who stuck up for me. She stood steadfastly by my side. Regardless of whether it was Skye, Sloan, Lila or the boys, Mum defended my decision, and she tried to get Skye to accept my position.

With work calling, I left. The whole flight back to Auckland, I tossed over the options. The one thing that hurt was Skye's unmoving attitude. She wasn't moving, full stop. Yeah, she professed her undying love for me, but wasn't prepared to move.

Over the next few weeks we talked every night, back and forth it went. We didn't argue, but it was heated.

It was during one of those late night discussions that I exploded. Skye had been saying repeatedly how much she loved me and wanted to be with me. It cut me deep, and I reacted by bellowing loudly.

"Skye, you talk big. You say you love me, but you're not prepared to move to be with me. Guess it's like loving me, but fucking Derrick, a guy you hated. I don't think you love me at all. You just need a fsther for your kids."

She screeched, "Fuck you arsehole." and the phone disconnected.

We didn't talk for several days. It seemed like we were at a point in time it was impossible to move past. Four nights later, she finally called. It started a little icily, but we each apologised and things seemed to be on track. That's when she gushed. "I quit my job, I'm having a garage sale this weekend."

"What, why?" I stammered.

"I'm trying to raise the money to move to Auckland."

"You're coming?" I gushed happily.

"Yes, it feels wrong, but if it means that much to you, I'll do it. I'll live anywhere. All I know is, I hate the way we have been fighting lately. I know in my heart, all I want is to be with you, and you were right. Dylan did come out of his shell up there."

It was like the world had flipped, I couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you, Skye, I promise, you will not regret it."

Mum wasn't quite so convinced, but it didn't stop her from helping Skye with her garage sale and cleaning her house out, but her heart wasn't in it. She was like a victim who had been given the option of whether she wanted her arm or leg cut off. It was her call.

It was a few days later that one of those realtor brochures turned up in the mail. "We want to sell your house. We have cashed up clients waiting."

Could I? While I was at it, I looked at properties around Oamaru. With what I got from selling my place, I could buy something pretty fabulous at home. I could see there were a raft of properties, rural ones where there was room to move, fresh air to breathe.

As I was trolling through the realty on the internet, a property exploded into my view. It was on the main road north, just past the race track. Five acres, four bedrooms, a huge garage, but the thing that struck me the most was, right on the roadside, there was a gallery. The pictures on the internet showed it was being used as an art gallery by the owners.

A little research showed that the artist was famous and the gallery very popular.

The house, an old farm villa, had been renovated many times over the years. It was less than half of what my current place was worth. I could sell up here and move down there, own the place outright, with no mortgage and then...

It came back to work. What the hell would I do? It was bloody Mike who put that stupid idea in my head. Bone carving, huh, as if I could make enough out of that to survive. Ever since I took that damn night class, I had been overwhelmed with it. At first, I got into it as therapy. I had anger issues, and I wasn't pleasant to be around. A friend suggested a hobby. Bone carving beca,e a bit of an obsession after that. I even sold some of my stuff through a mate who did the Takapuna markets. It was lucrative, but hardly enough to live on.

Talking to Hank one evening, he rang me to talk about helping Skye to pack up and organise a container for her move. It was while we talked I popped him the question. "Mate, how serious were you about finding me some work?"

He chuckled softly. "Rory, with your skills I could get you work easy, it probably wouldn't match what you earn up in the big smoke, but shit, we all manage to live on it."

I laughed at his dig at Aucklanders. "There's a difference between surviving and living, mate."

"Rory, if you're serious, I could actually put out feelers."

"Go on then, but only if you can keep it under your hat. I'm not making any promises. I don't want to get Skye's hopes up. The bottom line is, if I can't find a decent job, I'm not moving."

"No worries, pal, it will be our secret."

"Not even Sloane must find out," I snapped.

Over the next couple of days I rang the Oamaru agent about the house for sale, I organised for my current home to be put on the market.

It all happened so quickly I could hardly believe it. I received an above market offer for my house. That, in itself, was to good to pass up. I asked Hank to go and look over the property in Oamaru. He not only gave me the thumbs up, but suggested they were open to offers.

On the back of that, I presented a cheeky offer, which the owners accepted. That was it, I was backed into a corner, there was no escape. It had all happened so quickly I was stuck without a job.

Hank held up his end of the bargain. He kept my secret. It was a hard secret to keep; I wanted the big reveal. I was just going to rock up at Skye's and drop it on her.

Great plan, but it wasn't to be. She had finished her garage sales, sold her car, and was about to book air fares for her and Dylan. As fast as things had moved for, she moved quicker, and I was going to have to tell her.

Sloane, inadvertently threw me the lifeline. She went into labour, and Skye got sucked into helping out. She could hardly walk out and leave her best friend on her own.

Everybody was so wrapped up in Sloane's giving birth that they forgot about me. I hired a truck, loaded up my shit, and hit the road. My car, I sent by rail, everything else was in the truck.

My boss was pretty good, and let me go without working out my notice.

I got continuous updates on the birth. I don't know who was more excited, Mum, or Skye. It made it easy for me; they were so absorbed with the birth, they didn't even ask what I as doing. I drove through the night and got the eleven PM sailing on the Cook Strait ferry.

The ferry ride did give me some sleep, although, that was broken at twelve-thirty when I got a screaming happy call from Skye. "It's a boy, a beautiful baby boy."

I heard Mum grab the phone. "He's so gorgeous, Rory, he is beautiful."

Skye took the phone back. "Sorry to wake you. We were all just so excited. You should see Hank, he can barely breathe he is so excited."

I offered my congratulations, and she said, "Go back to sleep lazybones. Pity you weren't here, Hank is talking about having some crazy head wetting party. On second thoughts, probably better you're not. You'd probably hook up with bloody Gillian."

"Hmmmm, yes, Gillian, she was hot all right."

"Bastard." She giggled. "Go back to sleep."

After the phone started beeping I glanced out the window into the darkness, the rolling of the ship encouraging me back to sleep as I curled up on one of the sofas.

Of the other side, I checked my phone, it was one-thirty, dreary and drizzling.

I stopped at the all night garage, refuelled, brought a couple of pies, coffee, a couple of cans of coke and hit the road. I now had a seven hour drive. At least the truck had a radio.

The drive down state highway 1 was awesome. The road followed the coastline. Okay, it was hardly a clear night, but the frequent lightening flashes lit up the sky like Guy Fawkes. The lightening striking the water bristled, lighting it like phosphorescence. Kaikoura, Cheviot, Amberley, Kaipoi and then Christchurch. A quick break for more food and a shower at the truck stop.

The sky lightened, dawn beckoned as I headed out through Rolleston. By the time I reached Ashburton, the day was upon us properly. Traffic thickened and progress slowed.

It was nearly nine when I arrived at the outskirts of Oamaru. I pulled into the garage, and I was busting for a leak. As I stretched and had a wee walk around my phone went. "Hi, Rores, sorry for ringing you last night. I hope I didn't ruin your sleep."

"Nope, all good, Skye. I'm glad you called. So how is the bouncing baby boy?"

"Oh, honey, he is gorgeous, so beautiful. We are heading back into the hospital soon, for a visit."

"Where are you staying?" I asked as I stretched out, stifling a tired yawn.

"At Mum's place. Don't panic, babe. I'm still coming. I thought I would stay for a few days and wait till Sloane gets home before leaving."

"Sounds like a plan. How's Dylan?"

"He's great, Honey, he's coming with us today to meet his new cousin. I think he's as excited as we are."

"Cool, give him a hug from me. Tell him I love him."

Finding a parking space big enough for the truck at the hospital was difficult. I collected up my huge bunch of flowers, my box of chocolates and wandered in.

It's not a big hospital, The nurses at the reception desk pointed me in the right direction. I could hear all the laughter, the giggling, the cackling. It sounded like the whole family was in that damn room.

I poked my head around the door. Yep, there they all were, gathered around the bed as Sloane nursed her new baby. Sucking in a deep breath, I coughed to clear my throat and said loudly, "Congratulations!"

All the chatter stopped and Skye just about fainted. "Rory... What are you doing here?"

"Hey, I could hardly miss the birth of my brand new nephew now, could I?"

Dylan rushed up and hugged me around the waist "Dad, wow, you're here."

I bent over and kissed his forehead. "Sure am, Son."

"But how did you get here?" Skye squeaked.

"Truck."

"Truck, why are you in a truck?"

"I needed it for all my stuff."

Hank walked over and we hugged like brothers. "Welcome home, Bro."

"Thanks, mate."

Mum walked over and gave me an even bigger hug. "Does this all mean what I think it does?"

"Yeah, sure does, Mum. I am afraid the town is going downhill. I jut brought a house here."

Lila rushed over and she was in my arms, Mike walked over and offered me his hand. "Welcome home, Brother."

Skye was dumbfounded. She stood with her mouth hanging open like a Venus fly trap. When she did move it was a rush, she was in my arms, our mouths fused together in a searing kiss.

When she stepped back, I walked over to the bed and offered Sloane her flowers and chocolates. "Swap ya!"

I laughed.

We exchanged parcels, and for the first time I held a newborn baby in my arms. It flooded me with conflicting emotions. Soon, I would be doing this with our own newborn, and the conflicting part was, guilt. I had missed out on so much of Dylan's life. I wish I could have held him in my arms like that.

It was an amazing day. Skye and I drove into town to pick up the keys to the new place. When we pulled up outside, I said, "Well, what do you think?"

She had said almost nothing since leaving the hospital. "Rory, it's incredible, I can't believe it. You're here, and we have a house. It's too much. I'm so happy."

"Good, but this isn't a house, Skye. If we're going to make this work, it must become our home."

We wandered through the house, and we were just finishing up when Mum, Lila, Hank and Mike turned up to help carry the furniture inside.

It took the rest of the day, but it looked pretty good. We used the truck to pick up Skye's belongings, and I dropped the truck off at the hire centre on the way to the hospital to visit Sloane.

As we were all leaving, Mike said, "Mate, I think I've got a job for you, but. I have to say, I think you're a mug. You should be working on the bone carving, you have talent, and I hate to see talent go to waste.

"I plan to do it, Mike. I'm not sure I'm good enough, but. I'm definitely going to give it a nudge. I just need the job as a safety blanket. If the bone carving works out, then good, if not, at least I have a job."

"Buddy, you're good enough, you need faith."

"Yeah, faith isn't something I have a lot of. History, you know."

Skye's deep frown turned to a scowl. "I hope I can fix that, Rory. I will work the rest of my life restoring your faith."

She slipped under my arm, and as it rested on her shoulder, I said, "I'm looking forward to that."

Things went smoothly. We moved into our new home, Dylan made some friends from the property up the road. They were mad keen hockey players, and Dylan loved it. Seeing him play sport and interacting with the other kids was so pleasing. Seeing him evolve and grow, and sharing in it every day was amazing. I was determined to pay him back for missing so much of his life.

Not all roads are paved with gold. My new job was a shocker, and I hated it with a vengeance, it was only my family that made it worthwhile. If my penance was working at that shitty job, I would wear that.

My family, yes my new family, which included a beautiful daughter, welded us together.

The end