When I got home Mum greeted me with a hug – and a not so subtle reminder that I’d be sharing with Blake. ‘I’ve made up all the beds for tomorrow, Lyla.’

‘So kind! But I’m not sleeping in Blake’s room tonight. Nana Kiri won’t mind.’ My grandmother always slept in my bed and she wouldn’t mind day-old sheets. She was very Zen about things, just like Blake.

Mum waved a hand. ‘Fine by me.’

I took myself off next door to my babysitting job. Henry, aged six, and Leo, eight, weren’t bad kids, but they were pretty spooked these days by the shaky earth. Their mum, Natalie, tilted her head towards the boys. Uh oh, the spooked-kids tilt.

I gave her my competent child-carer nod and she left after a kiss for each of the boys. She was a receptionist at a medical centre, and evening shifts were only a problem when her hubby Don was travelling like he was right now, doing agricultural advising.

‘Show me where Dad is today,’ I said to the kids.

They raced to the map on the wall. Henry plonked a finger in the middle of South America. ‘Here.’

Leo landed on Buenos Aires. ‘Mum says we can get out of school and go to the airport to meet him.’

‘Yeah,’ Henry said. ‘He’ll be here in four more sleeps.’

‘How about we make him welcome-home cards?’

It was a good idea – they hardly noticed a minor shake happening among the glue, glitter and spelling glitches.

They were in bed all tucked up and asleep by nine o’clock – something of a record these days. Well done, Lyla! I was deep into my homework when a text arrived from Nana Kiri. Would Clemmie like a replacement china shepherdess for her birthday? I’ve seen the exact same one!!!

Clemmie being my mum, who reckoned the only good thing to come out of the September quake was the shattering of that stupid statue. For a second, I thought about texting back She’d be thrilled!! But no, I couldn’t be that mean – mainly because I’d have to live with Mum’s reproachful sighs forever after.

Truthfully, not her thing. She needs trainers, size 39. Keeps borrowing mine.

I added a link to shoes I’d be happy to own if Mum didn’t like them.

Thanks, Lyla. See you tomorrow. We get in at 2.30. Remind Clemmie!!! Xxxx

Nana Kiri always said that, ever since Mum didn’t pick them up on time years ago. I forget the reason, but it would have been a valid one – a gunman on the loose, or maybe a lost toddler. I could have gone to the airport with Mum to meet them, but I had other plans for the afternoon, thanks to school finishing at midday so that all secondary teachers could have a union meeting. Go, unions!

Pops and Nana Kiri didn’t usually fly down from Wellington for Mum’s birthday, but apparently turning forty is huge. So on Tuesday the twenty-second of February we’d booked a posh restaurant for a family dinner in town. The rest of the birthday celebrations had already been organised by super-planners Dad, Blake and me, even though my bro and the grands wouldn’t be doing any of it. They preferred to keep their feet on the ground.

I often looked at my grandparents and couldn’t figure out how two such gentle people could produce an adrenalin junkie like my mum. It was a mystery – and I knew they worried about her being a cop.

Dad was a trauma nurse in Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department, so pretty much into the adrenalin too. And I got Blake’s share of that gene as well as my own.

Breakfast Tuesday morning with both parents taking the day off was an Event. Dad made fritters from the frozen whitebait he’d secretly thawed overnight. I made pancakes. Blake got out of bed in time to join in the eating part, but I guess he’d have got up anyway because lectures had started for the year.

Mum opened her present from Dad, Blake and me – vouchers for a gliding trip and a high ropes course, although to be honest that was because I wanted to be up in the treetops on a skinny rope high above the ground. For a second she just stared as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, then she leapt to her feet. ‘I’m going gliding! I really am! Wow, you fantastic, wonderful people. It’s the best present. I absolutely love it!’

Dad leant towards me and Blake to stage whisper, ‘Do you think she likes it? Is she just pretending?’

Mum didn’t even hear – I reckon her head was already somewhere up in the stratosphere.

Blake asked, ‘So what are you guys going to do with your day off?’

Dad nodded towards Mum. ‘Jean Batten there is meeting up with a couple of old school friends this morning. Some fancy café in town.’

I reached across the table to prod his chest. ‘Which leaves you free to drool over fancy cars in Fazazz. Right?’

He grinned. ‘I might take a bit of a look. Just for ten minutes.’

More like ten hours – Dad’d live at Fazazz if he could. Mum came back down from the stratosphere. ‘What are you doing with your free afternoon, daughter mine?’

I gave a summary of my plans. ‘Catching a ride into town. Hitting the mall. Hanging out.’

Mum fixed me with a glare. ‘Who’s driving you? What type of licence is she on?’

Oh, the joy of having a cop for a mother. ‘Joanne’s mum. Sorry, I should have asked her for a photo of her licence.’

She patted my head and grinned.

‘But I won’t be biking, so I could use a ride to school, Mummy dearest, Daddy darling.’

Blake made puking noises.

Dad regarded me across the table, his face wearing a suspiciously calculating look. I beat him to it. ‘Okay! I’ll do the dishes if you’ll take me to school.’

He laughed. ‘Deal. And it’s cooler today. Dress appropriately.’ Dad in Health Monitor mode.

Peace, harmony and happy birthday-ness. All we needed now to make it perfect was a whole day without earthquakes.