Claudia hadn’t slept a wink the night before and, in the wee hours before dawn, she had feared it was her conscience keeping her awake. She had to remind herself that she didn’t deserve to feel guilty about anything. She was a good person. That’s what everyone else thought, and she needed to start believing it too.

‘Who’s first?’

Justin kissed her forehead. ‘Leanne. I thought you might find it easier starting with her?’

‘Sure,’ Claudia replied. ‘And the sooner we get it done, the sooner we can go home.’

As they weaved their way through the throng of performers who were busy packing up, there were more words of appreciation and congratulations. Claudia was so distracted by the pats on the back and arm squeezes that she didn’t notice Leanne until they had reached the far corner of the tent. The reporter was with the Courier’s photographer, Henry, who had made Claudia feel so relaxed for what had been the first of many photoshoots. There was another reporter too, one that Claudia recognised from the press conference, but it was Leanne she greeted first.

‘How lovely to see you,’ Claudia said as she strode towards her with her arms open wide.

She could hear lots of camera clicks in quick succession, but she kept her gaze fixed on Leanne. She knew these photos would be splashed across the internet in a matter of hours, and her expression had to convey the right message. The tears she had been fighting back since leaving the stage rimmed her eyes as she committed to the hug. She could feel the reporter tensing and hoped she wasn’t ruining the shot.

‘How do you think it went?’ Leanne asked, her voice monotone.

‘It’s a difficult one, isn’t it?’ Claudia pressed a palm to her chest and swallowed hard, overcompensating for Leanne’s lack of emotion. ‘We’ve been planning this for months and it’s been stressful at times, especially in the last week with the storm, but I think we did OK.’

‘You did more than OK,’ said Justin, slipping an arm around her waist.

‘Time will tell,’ Claudia warned. Noticing the second reporter had her phone trained constantly on her, she realised they were being videoed too. ‘And I hope it’s not just about pulling together tonight. The first year might be over, but this is a lifetime’s journey for the victims’ families. I want them to know that we’re still going to be here when they need us.’

Leanne appeared thoughtful. ‘I’m sure tonight has resurrected some painful memories for a lot of people, but understanding exactly what happened is part of the healing process, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘It’s like one big puzzle,’ Leanne continued, wrinkling her nose as if she were struggling with a tricky brainteaser. ‘And it’s time to bring two pieces back together to see how they fit.’