Saoirse’s house is a white cottage at the end of a winding path, set back on the edge of a cliff which tumbles down towards the sea. By the time she and Layla arrive, dawn is breaking and a sliver of pink sky cracks through the dusty grey.

Gabriela cannot remember the last time she was here, but she remembers being terrified by the sheer drop. Looking at it now, the volume of the sky above and beyond them, she feels for a moment like she can truly breathe.

As the taxi pulls away, ready to make the long journey back to the city, she turns to the house again and spots Saoirse in the doorway. She is leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed as if inspecting her oldest friend and not quite understanding what she is seeing.

Once they make eye contact Saoirse stands straighter and moves towards Gabriela, her eyes clocking Layla and the buggy and the absence of bags.

A moment later, her arms are wrapped around her and Layla, the strength of their embrace making Gabriela feel safe in a way she hasn’t for so long.

Looking down at Layla, Saoirse lets her face soften into a smile, lifting her hand playfully to Layla’s fingers and saying, without looking at her, ‘And who’s this?’

Layla gazes back at her, her eyes hooded with sleep, and she recoils slightly, her mouth moving into a frown.

‘Don’t be shy,’ Gabriela says, holding her tightly. ‘This is Layla. Layla, this is Saoirse. She’s an old friend, and do you know what? Saoirse has a puppy …’

It is ridiculous. She is just a baby, but Gabriela doesn’t know how else to fill the silence without screaming, and without missing a beat, Saoirse plays along. ‘Oh my goodness, do you like puppies, little one? Do you …?’

Drawn in by their role play, Layla lets herself be lifted from Gabriela’s arms and taken inside by Saoirse, while Gabriela follows, her whole body shaking.

Chapter 80

Isobel

‘I thought you were supposed to be taking a break?’ Ben asks when I reach the office, pulling the chair from behind my desk and moving it next to his. Si is out and no one else is around, but still I keep my voice lowered.