‘But it’s been four months and he’s still suffering,’ she sniffs. ‘And I am too. It’s like my life is on pause while everyone else is fast-forwarding. I just keep thinking: Who the hell do I think I am, waiting around for some fantasy person who won’t ever show up? Maybe this is as good as it gets, so why can’t I be like everybody else, and just… settle?’

‘Look… I can’t say what you should or shouldn’t do,’ I tell her. ‘But from what you’ve told me, I don’t think you’re an awful person. Not in the slightest.’

She sniffs again and says, ‘Well. Thank you.’ And then she lets out a gasp that lands halfway between anger and relief. ‘God, it feels good to actually talk about this. I don’t really have anyone I can speak to about it properly.’

‘That’s what we’re here for,’ I say.

‘What do you think, though, Jack?’ She coughs, and suddenly I can hear the smile back in her voice. ‘Did I make the right decision? I mean, you’re the expert.’

I play along, but I’m smiling too. ‘Not at all, actually, Pia. I’m just a volunteer, and I’ve known you for all of about nine minutes, so I definitely can’t go making any sweeping judgements on your life. The whole point of this line is to listen without judgement.’

‘Oh, OK. I get it… So you’re like a kind of phone Beefeater?’

An extremely inelegant snort-laugh splutters out of me. ‘A what?’

‘Beefeaters aren’t supposed to react, are they, no matter what you do in front of them. I remember my dad taking us to see them when we were kids, and me and my sister would jump about, sticking our tongues out at them, and they had to stay totally composed and professional. So – that’s you. You’re a phone Beefeater. No matter what I say, you can’t react.’

My grin stretches even wider. ‘Couldn’t have put it better myself.’

‘OK’. There’s another weirdly comfortable pause. Then she takes a deep breath and says, ‘Well. I’d better go – there must be other people trying to get through to you.’

‘How are you feeling now?’ I ask.

‘Better than I was when I called. So that’s something.’

‘That’s very good to hear.’

‘Thank you, Jack. It was really nice talking to you.’

‘You’re welcome, Pia. You too. And you can call again, you know. Any time between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. – someone will be here.’

‘OK, thanks. Maybe I will.’

I suddenly very much don’t want her to hang up. I don’t know why, but I just want to talk to her – to listen to her talk – for just a little longer.

‘Bye, then,’ she says.

‘Bye.’