Work helped keep her mind off other matters. Like Emer, who hadn’t returned any of Dee’s calls or emails. And Ella and Jake, who would be gone by the end of the month. Each time Dee thought of them not being here, it felt like her heart was cracking all over again. She didn’t know how she was going to get through the first few weeks after they left.

Annie had called during the week, too. Dee’s painting was ready. Annie had got it framed and was keeping it at her house until Dee was able to come and pick it up. Which is how Dee found herself, Friday afternoon, parking her car outside a row of red-brick terraced houses on a quiet street in Wapping, east London. She rang the bell for the address Annie had given her, and waited.

The house was nothing special, but some effort had gone into adding character to the place. The door was painted a deep shade of red that stood out from the other doors on the street. The glass in the front window had been replaced with small square panes of stained glass. And pretty purple flowers bloomed from window boxes on each windowsill.

She didn’t have long to wait before the door opened and Annie’s mother was greeting Dee and telling her to come inside.

‘Your painting’s in here,’ Fiona said, leading Dee down a narrow hallway into a bright, open living-kitchen area at the back of the house. ‘Annie’s asked me to check you’re happy with it. Anything you don’t like just let me know.’

‘What’s not to like?’ Dee said.

The painting had been placed upright, on the stripped floorboards, leaning against the wall so it caught her eye as soon as she came into the room. In its new frame, it looked better than Dee remembered. She couldn’t wait to see what it would look like in her living room.

‘Annie can’t be here, I’m afraid,’ Fiona said. ‘Something came up in the gallery and she had to go in at short notice. She asked me to pass on her apologies.’

‘It’s not a problem,’ Dee said. ‘I’m glad to get my painting. I hope you didn’t have to drive up to London just to let me in?’

‘I’ve been staying for a few days,’ Fiona said, ‘so it’s not a problem. Annie’s always inviting me to come and stay.’

‘That must be nice for you.’

‘It is.’ Fiona smiled. ‘I’m very lucky. And, of course, now that Annie doesn’t have to work in the pub, I’m hoping we may get to spend even more time together.’

‘I imagine she’s got a great future ahead of her,’ Dee said. ‘She’s really talented.’