‘I’m her ex-husband, but I’m still her emergency contact. I was, uh, I was here yesterday.’

Edward nods at Dad before turning to me, a sad smile on his face. ‘And you must be her daughter?’

I swallow, and it’s like a great big stone is sliding down my throat landing, thud, in my chest. I can feel it right next to my heart.

‘If you could both take a seat, I’ll call you when she’s ready,’ he says, like Mum’s just in a meeting.

I don’t want to speak, so I play on my phone to distract myself.

Elle messages me just as I’m feeding my pets on this new app I downloaded. Lady, our Cavalier King Charles spaniel, would be horrified if she knew about my virtual cat. She gets jealous pretty easily. Once I had to look after our class hamster for the weekend, and I swear Lady wouldn’t look me in the eye for days after.

Elle: Hope you’re OK xxxxxx

Safiya: Going to see her in a minute. I’m scared. Xxxx

Elle’s message makes it all real again, and suddenly I can’t play the game any more.

In the next room there’s an old man lying in one of the hospital beds alone. He stares at the same spot on the ceiling for ages, and all I can think about is how no one is there to see him. And then I think about how I wasn’t there to see Mum yesterday at her flat, before she was called into hospital – all because of our argument.

‘That’s so silly, Safiya,’ Mum had said when I explained that I didn’t want to join the local theatre group. ‘Gaming isn’t a hobby . . . Hobbies require you to leave the comfort of your own room.’ She laughed, even though it wasn’t funny. ‘I would understand all this if you were a bit younger, but you’re in Year Eight now.’

‘James? Safiya?’ Edward calls for us. I jump, but I don’t stand. I can’t. For a moment my body doesn’t respond to my brain.

I turn to Dad, who is about to stand up.

I put my hand on his shoulder. ‘Is it OK if I go alone?’

I’ve been so used to it just being Mum and me, without Dad, that it would be weird to be the three of us again.

Dad frowns at me for a moment, and I think he’s going to say no, but then his face softens and he squeezes me back. I turn round, take a deep breath, and follow Edward.

He leads me to the entrance and uses a special key card to open the doors. Then he gives me some quick instructions: walk straight to the end and turn right.