Sarah’s eyes glistened as she looked at Mo. ‘I know, and thank you. Left to my own devices, that’s exactly what I would be doing, sitting in my room and crying. To be honest though, Mo, there’s no joy for me here, and there won’t be in the cinema. It’s like nothing matters any more and life seems pointless. It feels like I’m never going to laugh again. The pain inside me is so consuming, and all I can think about is Tommy. It takes over my whole being and I haven’t got the strength to fight it off. And … I’m not sure if I want to. I feel I should be sad like this forever … for Tommy.’

Trust me to open my big gob and start her off again, thought Mo, though she tried to show some empathy in her eyes. ‘Sarah, it’s early days yet. Give it time, love. I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through, but I do know that Tommy wouldn’t want you feeling like this. Just imagine if it was the other way around, and you had died. If you was a ghost and could see him, would you want to see him upset?’

‘No, no, never. I’d want him to be happy and remember me with love.’

‘There you go then. Hold on to that.’

‘Mo, can we just leave it for now? I don’t believe in ghosts. Tommy is dead, he can’t see me, and I can’t help feeling bloody miserable. Look, thanks for dragging me out, but I want to go home now,’ Sarah said. She shoved back her chair and almost ran out of the café.

Mo quickly found some coins in her handbag and threw them on the table. She was cursing herself for saying the wrong thing, and ran to catch up with Sarah. ‘Wait … I’m sorry,’ she called along the street.

Sarah stopped and turned, her shoulders slumped. ‘No, Mo, don’t be sorry. It’s me who should be apologising. You go off and watch the film, and I’ll head home. If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather be by myself for a while.’

‘If that’s what you want,’ she said, inwardly pleased. It suited her that way. When Sarah was happy, she was good company and fun to be around, but Mo was finding her grief difficult to deal with. ‘I’ll pop in to see you later, make sure you’re OK.’

Sarah nodded, and Mo watched as she trudged off. Selfishly she hoped that Sarah would find it too hard to live in that room now, the memories too hard to bear. If Sarah moved out, she wouldn’t have to put up with her crying all the time, something that she now realised could go on for weeks, months or even years.