It was a short walk home, up a not-very-steep hill. I went past the house with the manicured hedges, and the house that looked like a birthday cake. I went past the brown and white block of flats with arches over its parking bays, and past the falling-down house where the little old lady lived. I went past the red-brick units where you could cut through to Laws Street, and the black house with the evil dog. I went past the house with all the lavender out front, where a politician lived, and the house with two cars in the driveway up on blocks. You couldn’t see through the garden to our house, it was so thick with plants. In summer, the temperature dropped two degrees when you opened the gate and walked into our garden. ‘Gosh,’ said Mrs Parish once, ‘You could die in here and nobody would ever find you.’

Our soft brown gate made no clink when you opened and shut it so it was always a surprise when someone came home. A letter was poking out of the letterbox, so I pulled it out and took it with me. It had Aunt Tilde’s writing on the front: Mother would be glad. I opened it and read it, though I knew I shouldn’t:

Dearest Veda,

I’m so so sorry for my silence. I have been in hospital with pneumonia. I’ve been so sick, Veda, for weeks, and Frank didn’t bring all my letters until I was recovered enough to read them. I’m so sorry. He should’ve written to you and told you. I don’t know why he didn’t think to do so.

I’m still weak but am penning this now so you know I am thinking about you and not for one second reserving judgement. You do what you have to do.

Write me soon.

Love always,

Tilde

On the wall near the front door Papa had hung a large white flower-shaped ornament, and that’s where Mother kept the key. She kept it in the three o’clock petal, which I could only reach standing on my tiptoes. I fished out the key and opened the door. I hoped Mother had not seen the newspaper.

Mother must’ve been out. Or asleep. The house was dark. That sometimes happened when she was asleep: she would leave the lights off. Her dog was nowhere to be seen. I felt my way down the passage and into the bathroom, where the toilet was.