He nods.
“Why?” I’m absolutely stunned. “Have you… cheated?”
He glares at me. “Of course not. We’ve just grown apart. We want different things out of life now. And you know what it’s like… it’s become so hard to be civil in each other’s company. We’re just incompatible.”
“Have you agreed to it?”
“No. I want us to stay together for appearance’s sake. She’s thinking about it. But today she’s moving into one of the spare bedrooms.”
I’m so shocked, I can’t think what to say. “I’m sorry,” I manage eventually.
He shrugs. “He ra ano ki tua.” It means ‘there is another day beyond.’ Or ‘don’t worry, tomorrow will come. Things will work out.’
Privately, I’m not so sure. When one partner starts thinking about divorce, I would imagine it’s impossible to stop that train reaching the station.
My parents are going to get divorced. I’m surprisingly shocked and upset about that. Maybe because, deep down, even though I know they argue, the fact that they’ve stayed together has given me hope that marriage works if you put effort into it.
Well, shit.
“You seeing Orson?” Dad asks. When I nod, he says, “All right. Catch you later.” He goes into his office and closes the door behind him.
I purse my lips, then walk slowly down to Orson’s office. His door is open, and when I go in, I find him sitting in one of the soft armchairs in front of the window, looking at some reports ashe sips his coffee. His terrier pup, Bearcub, is lying in a shaft of sunlight in the middle of the office, snoring.
“Kia ora,” I say, going in.
He looks up. “Kia ora.” He gestures at Bearcub. “Mind Foghorn Doghorn over there. Where the hell does all the volume come from?”
I give a wry smile, step over the dog, and flop down onto the sofa.
He watches me, amused. “What’s up? Who pissed in your cornflakes?”
I blow out a breath. “I just saw Dad.”
“Oh? What’s he doing here on a Saturday?”
“Apparently Mum’s asked for a divorce.”
His eyebrows rise, and he puts down the report. “Oh, fuck.”
“Yeah. I’m stunned.” I shake my head. “I never thought they’d get this far. I mean, I know they argue a lot, but I just thought that was the way they showed affection.”
“I’m so sorry.”
I huff a sigh. “I didn’t really need that after this morning’s meeting.”
“Oh, yes, how did it go?”
“I got a dressing down and a lecture about respectability.”
He frowns. “I hope you told them you weren’t drunk when you jumped off that waterfall, and that Sabrina was being a bitch.”
“I did. But the truth doesn’t matter, does it? Only what it looks like.”
His frown deepens. “I guess.”
“Koa told me they need someone the youngsters can look up to, not a playboy who’s seen with a different woman every week.”
He winces. “Ouch.”