Wellington has its secrets, and mid-August is one of them. There’s an inexplicable three-week streak of clear, bright weather. Winona lets her red trench coat flap becomingly loose around her as she darts off up the Terrace to meet Willow for lunch, at their usual cafe.

“Hi! How are you? It’s been ages!” Willow hasn’t maintained her new haircut, and has reverted to winter polar fleece. But somehow she looks lovely anyway. “I haven’t seen you since our party!”

“I just got back from spending a long weekend with Owen.”

Winona grins. “It’s so fantastic that you and he have gotten together.”

“He asked if I’d move down there and live with him.”

“On his lifestyle block twenty minutes from Oumaru? With his designer pigs? Would you really be happy in the backblocks?”

“I – I love him, Win. I love Wellington, too, but… I’m thinking about it.”

Winona is so rapt she ignores her hot chocolate. “What about work?”

“It’s dreadful, but since the quake, they can’t get enough soil scientists in the Canterbury region. So I could find something, when I couldn’t before.”

“Oh! This is what I texted about. I’ve got a new job. I’m going to be an advisor at Marianne Swatch’s trade board. Except…” Her voice drops to a whisper. “I’m pregnant.”

Willow gasps. “Only two months. Of course I haven’t told anybody else outside family. If it…you know…continues, I’ll be able to get established at the board, then take a short maternity leave. It’s not the way I was hoping to do it, but…”

“Would your mum help with the baby? She’s retired.”

Winona snorts. “Only if I said it was a performance art piece. But! Will says he’ll work from home for a few months. He’s pleased as that all those smoothies worked – he’s never been so psyched about being a dad before. I just wish the timing was better.”

“I wish that Owen would consider moving. But, I could do a lot with that house down there…”

Win raises her cup. “Here’s to getting what we wanted? With a catch?”

Tags:   drama! · romance · willow · winona3 Comments