The ute was still rumbling in the driveway, exhaust burbling like a sleepy beast as Zane tightened the last tie-down on the generator. Tarni tossed a final garbage bag onto the growing pile near the gate and wiped his hands on his jeans.
“We ready?” Kai asked, shouldering his pack. “Reception, supplies, smokes for Tarni, and maybe a meat pie if we’re lucky?”
Zane gave a short nod. “Yeah. We’re burning daylight—”
The crunch of tyres on gravel cut him off.
All three turned toward the road as a dusty hatchback crested the final rise and rolled slowly down the drive. The moment stretched.
“No way,” Tarni muttered. “She wasn’t supposed to be here till tomorrow.”
Zane took a single step forward, mug forgotten in his hand. His heart stuttered as he saw Lily behind the wheel, James beside her. And in the back, nestled in pillows and crocheted warmth, Bell.
The car stopped.
James was out first, stretching his back stiffly as he opened Bell’s door. Lily was already hurrying around to help, her eyes flicking from Zane to the house and back again.
Bell turned her head and looked up at her husband.
“Zane,” she whispered, her voice breathless with emotion and surprise. “You look like hell.”
Zane let out a rough laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “You should see the hallway.”
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Behind him, Kai muttered, “It still smells like Dettol and regret in there.”
Bell smiled faintly as Lily and James helped her out of the car. She leaned against her daughter for support, her eyes never leaving the house—or Zane.
Lily glanced nervously toward the front veranda, where the blood had only mostly been scrubbed from the wood. Tarni tried—badly—to nudge a blood-stained rag out of view with his boot.
Zane stepped up and took Bell’s hand. “Welcome home, love. We weren’t quite ready yet.”
“You never are,” Bell said, her voice a mixture of affection and exhaustion. “But it’s still good to see you.”
James cleared his throat. “Lily… can I talk to you for a sec?”
She looked over, confused but nodding, and followed him a few steps away from the group. His tone dropped, urgent and low.
“This isn’t right. Look at this place—there’s blood on the veranda, rubbish bags stacked like we’re in a war zone, and did you hear that thing running? That’s not a power pole humming—that’s a bloody generator.”
“It’s just temporary,” Lily said quickly. “They look like they've been cleaning all morning.”
“It’s not safe,” James insisted. “She’s sick, Lil. We were told this was about peace and comfort, not whatever this is. What if she falls? What if something happens?”
Lily looked back at her mother, who was now laughing quietly at something Kai had said—her face was pale, yes, but animated in a way Lily hadn’t seen in weeks.
Still, her jaw tightened. “You go, then.”
James blinked. “What?”
“You don’t have to stay. Go back to the motel in town. I’ll help Mum get settled, check everything’s okay. We can talk later.”
His mouth opened like he wanted to argue, but after a pause, he just nodded. “Alright. I’ll see you later, then.”
They returned to the group. James gave Bell a brief hug, muttered a polite goodbye to Zane, and got back in the car without looking at the house again.
The hatchback rolled away.
Tarni watched it vanish over the ridge, then exhaled loudly. “That went well.”
Zane shook his head. “Change of plans. We’ll do town tomorrow.”
Kai nodded. “Yeah. She’s here. That’s the real priority.”
Bell leaned into Lily as they approached the house, eyes sweeping the veranda, the trees, the sky. “Still smells like home.”
Zane held her arm as they slowly ascended the stairs to the front door. “Let’s get you inside, love.”