‘First of all, they’re disgusting,’ Esen tells me, pulling me back. ‘I don’t even need to have tried a vegan hot dog to know that. Second of all, stop sulking and come to the party.’

‘I’m not sulking,’ I say, but it kind of sounds like I am.

‘Come, then.’

‘Why the sudden change of heart?’

She huffs again. ‘Dev heard us yelling in the street.’

‘Did Deborah hear?’ I ask, sitting a little straighter.

‘No. She was busy with a customer, thankfully.’

‘A customer?’ I blink, unsure if I heard her correctly.

‘I know,’ Esen says with a chuckle. ‘He wanted some random book and we actually had it, can you believe?’

‘I cannot.’

‘Anyway, she didn’t hear, but Dev did and ripped me a new one.’

‘Oh.’ I nod, even though she can’t see me. ‘So that’s why you suddenly want us to come.’

‘No,’ Esen says defensively. ‘I mean, it might have given me the kick up the arse I needed to realise that I was being an asshole—’

‘So, you concede that you were being an asshole?’ I interrupt with a smug smile.

‘Yes,’ she says and even down the phone, I can tell that she’s saying it through her teeth. ‘I can admit that. I can also admit that none of this would have happened if I hadn’t taken you to the cemetery.’

‘I’m glad you did,’ I say as I watch Poppy picking the pistachios off her bun and popping them into her mouth.

‘And I can admit that I’ve forgotten.’

‘Forgotten what?’

‘What it was like to feel that way about someone.’ She pauses to sigh tenderly. ‘It’s been so long.’

I nod again.

‘Anyway, come to the party,’ she says, more softly this time. ‘Dev wants you here. I want you here.’

‘What about Poppy?’

‘Don’t worry,’ she says and she sounds much calmer than the last time we spoke about this. ‘It’s only the second week in January. No one’s met all the new reapers yet. It could work.’

‘You think?’ I ask, glancing at Poppy again, who is licking icing from her fingers.

‘Yeah, we’ll try the Hastings thing. I doubt there’ll be anyone here from Hastings.’

I hear the we and smile. ‘Well, if you think it will work.’

‘It will if you just be cool and don’t do anything to draw attention to yourselves.’

‘OK,’ I promise. ‘We’re leaving now.’

Esen hangs up without saying goodbye and when I look at Poppy, she’s grinning at me.

‘Are we going to the party?’

‘Yes,’ I say, but before she gets too excited, I hold up my finger. ‘On one condition.’

She eyes me suspiciously. ‘What?’

‘Call your dad.’

‘No.’ She shakes her head. ‘Absolutely not.’