I don’t know how long it usually takes people to fit in, but the first step is not being shut out. I haven’t worked out how many steps there are after that, but I’ve taken a few of them this week.

Max’s dad drops me home, and in the car, talking to him, I start looking forward to seeing my dad. He should just be back from the mine, if his plane’s landed on time.

I run into the house to see if he’s there and he is. He’s still in his fluoro work jacket, standing in the almost-empty living room, looking around. I don’t know if he’s thinking through where the furniture might go, or remembering our living room in Cape Town, where the furniture seemed to fit perfectly and so did we.

‘Hersch,’ he says, grinning. ‘So good to see you. Mom tells me your diary’s filling up.’

‘I wouldn’t say filling up, but I’ve got a few things on.’

Down the hall, I hear the bathroom door open and Hansie’s feet running as the toilet flushes. He bursts into the living room and tackles Dad around one leg.

‘Hansie,’ Dad says, ‘if you don’t give me that leg back, how am I going to kick the ball?’ He twists around to face me. ‘We were about to muck around in the backyard if you want to join us. We’ll have a braai after.’

Mom walks in. I tell her Max’s mom tried roosterkoek and made something like coal instead.

She laughs. ‘It can take a few times to get it right. At least she tried.’

‘So we’re teaching them South African food, then?’ Dad says. ‘Some of them must be okay if they want to try that.’ He takes a step towards the back door, groaning as he heaves Hansie forward. Then he stops and looks over his shoulder, in my direction. ‘I want to hear about that presentation you did on Cape Town. It sounds like you did a very clever job with that.’

‘Ball,’ Hansie shouts. ‘Let’s go.’

Dad drags him to the backyard, with Hansie laughing all the way, standing on Dad’s foot and gripping his thigh.

We kick the ball around until the sun sets and Dad starts the braai. He stands there with a beer while Mom makes a salad and Hansie chases lizards in the garden. It’s a moment that would feel like home for me, no matter where we were. Beyond the fence, there are still adjustments for me to make, big and small, and our new world has its own adjustments to make to me, but right now I don’t care.