THE HOT CHOCOLATE warm seeps slowly into me, relaxing the knot in my belly. I stare past Lettie to our front porch. The bright pink and yellow cushions look ridiculous today. And the potted plants need watering again; they’re starting to droop. They look tired, like their job’s wearing them down.

“So, where’s your mum?” She’s super casual as she says it. Like she’s asking about the weather. Except for her eyes, they don’t leave my face. I should have prepared for this. Of course she was going to ask. What ten-year-old asks the grumpy old goat next door to call in sick for them? She gives me a look. “I’m not blind.”

I wonder what she already thinks she knows, living next door. She’s probably noticed you’ve not been coming and going. No early-morning work starts, no evening walks back from the station. I need to give her enough for it to sound truthy. I meet her gaze. “She had to go away for work.”

Lettie looks unsurprised. “Doesn’t she have someone who can come and keep an eye on you?”

I consider the possible replies and settle for the most honest. “No.”

“Hmm.” She nods. Takes a sip of her drink. “She’s been gone awhile.” She’s keeping her voice casual, like I’m the little spooked animal in this situation. I watch as she adds some more sugar to her tea. I keep my breathing even and my fingers relaxed around the cup as I watch her lips. I have to watch her lips because the sound of my heartbeat’s so loud in my ears I don’t think I’d hear if she spoke.

I make myself take another sip; it takes a couple of goes to swallow. I force myself to ask what I don’t think I want to know. “Are you going to tell?”

She snorts into her cup. “Who would I tell? You think I want the council poking around here again?”

The relief makes my head dizzy. I place my cup gently on the chest between us and sit on my hands. Splinter shifts over and sits his furry bum on my toes. His huffing masks my shaking limbs. I hope.

“You know where I am if you need me. Can’t say I approve, leaving a nine-yea—”

“Ten.”

“Right. Sorry. Leaving a ten-year-old alone. Lord knows being a single parent isn’t easy.”

Pretty sure you’d agree with that. I slam the door on where that wants to take me and grab onto something else. “Why’d you give me an extra day? Off school, I mean.”

Lettie gives me a smile over the rim of her teacup. “You look like you could do with a mental health day.”