‘I will absolutely do that, thank you,’ I reply.
‘Right, well, this is where you’re going,’ the taxi driver eventually says. ‘Have a great time here in Australia – and watch out for those spiders.’
It is exclusively all I am doing right now.
Ethan drags both of our cases behind him, up to the door of the building. I don’t see any signs or anything but I gave the taxi driver the address that Seph gave me. You would think there would be something to give away that this was the right spot.
Seph’s high-pitched squeal somehow manages to echo, despite us being in a wide-open space. Perhaps it’s just my ears that are ringing, or alarm bells going off in my head.
‘Lana banana,’ she calls out. ‘You came! I was almost worried you wouldn’t.’
I exchange glances with Ethan. Already I feel like he knows what I’m up against.
‘And who is this big, strapping fellow?’ she asks, turning to Ethan, playfully batting him in the chest.
‘Seph, this is Ethan. Ethan, this is my sister, Seph,’ I say, making the introductions.
‘Seph is an interesting name,’ Ethan replies. ‘Beautiful, but I haven’t heard it before.’
‘It’s short for Persephone,’ she tells him.
‘I always say Persephone is short because she’s got tiny legs,’ Chester adds. ‘Chester Brimble-Plaskitt. Good to meet you, pal.’
Chester gives Ethan one of those almost aggressive, manly handshakes – the kind that makes everyone’s knuckles turn white.
‘Ethan Paul James,’ Ethan replies, clearly throwing in his middle name to make the whole thing sound longer.
‘You’ve got three forenames,’ Chester points out, amused.
‘Paul is my middle name, James is my surname,’ Ethan tells him.
‘Extraordinary,’ Chester replies. ‘I like it – EPJ, that’s what we’ll call you.’
‘You could just call him Ethan,’ I suggest.
‘Lana banana, come here,’ Chester says, ignoring me, pulling me in for a hug. Again though, even his hugs are aggressive, like we’re two big blokes on a rugby pitch.
Apparently Lana banana is something Seph used to call me, when we were kids, but my only memories of it are her calling me it as an adult and me hating it.
‘Lana,’ Dad says, joining us on the path. Bea isn’t far behind him.
‘Oh, Lana, you came,’ she says – and she sounds surprised too.
Seriously, did they all think I would bail? I’m glad I didn’t now, so I didn’t give them the satisfaction.
‘Yep, hello, I’m here, and this is Ethan,’ I say. ‘Ethan, this is my dad, Walter, and my stepmum, Bea.’
‘Stepmum, deary me,’ Bea says as she greets Ethan with a peck on the cheek. ‘Always keeping me at arm’s length.’
Wow, okay. Best I just ignore that.
‘Hello,’ Dad says, shaking Ethan’s hand – and it’s another grippy one. ‘Glad you could both make it.’
When I was younger I always used to think that a stiff upper lip was a literal thing – because my dad has always spoken a little bit like his lips are frozen in place.
‘Don’t be silly, carrying those, there is staff for that,’ Bea tells Ethan as she slaps his hand.
‘Oh, okay,’ I say. ‘I was worried this wasn’t the hotel, when I didn’t see any signs.’
