I drove with precious cargo tonight. With Tristan away, working in the Abrolhos (using his geophysical gear to search for mass graves from the mutiny there), Blaine has been left in total care of Tom and Alythea. She had to work tonight so I drove my car over to their place, waited until the kids had woken from their sleeps, and drove them back to our place in Blaine’s car (because that had their car seats all set up).

Tom thought that it was most out of order that I came to pick him up and he wasn’t allowed to get in my car. However he finally worked out what I meant when I said “Mummy’s going to drive Grandma’s car and Grandma’s going to drive Mummy’s car.” So, with Blaine sitting in my car waving to her two lovely little ones, I gingerly drove off…They were very good. Tom pointing out cars, trucks, trains and lights, Alythea chewing her toys. It took an hour to get through rush hour traffic back to our place, so I was glad they were good!

It was a strange experience, sitting in that space that Tristan holds with such love and care. I got a strong sense of his world during that drive – the love and care we have all always showered on him is very much here. It’s very much like the love and care my father showered on me and my sisters…