“We like to try, Charl.” She beeped us through, and we walked down some quiet corridors into a big room, sort of like a giant living room, comfy seats facing all directions, and a TV blaring. Nick headed toward the corner, where there was one armchair facing away, with an old lady sitting quietly, staring out of the window, even though all there was to see was headlights going back and forth along the main road.

“All okay?” He crouched down.

“All good—you shouldn’t worry yourself,” she replied gently, putting her hand on his. As she turned round, as I saw her face, there was no doubt who she was. It was like looking at Elle, just in sixty years’ time. The same brightest green eyes, the same dimples, the same confident way she held herself.

“Holly, meet Grams. Well, Dottie…” Nick pulled another chair over. “Grams, meet Holly.”

Dottie looked up at me and smiled, a big, whole face smile.

She held her hand out. “This is the Holly, I take it?”

“Well, I’m a Holly?” I shook her hand as I sat down. “And a Holly that’s very pleased to meet you.”

She laughed. “And is it you I should be thanking for those delicious cookies?”

“Grams, please!” Nick was laughing. “I acquired those by very surreptitious means…” He must have taken a box from home.

“Now,” his voice dropped, “Grams, when I called to check in, they said that you’d had another fall?”

“Oh, it was nothing—I’m here and fine.” Dottie clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “That’s the important thing.” She twisted slowly to plump up her cushion. I stretched over to help, but she didn’t want any. “Charl promised they weren’t going to make a mountain out of a molehill. Although you promised you weren’t going to always panic and, look, minutes later, here you are…”

And as they bickered about how protective he was, I tried to figure out why on earth Nick seeing his grandma was something he wouldn’t just admit to his family.

“I don’t suppose you have any more photos you could show me?” Dottie waited till Nick had gone to get tea before she asked. She reached for her glasses case. “Of Elle’s big adventure? Between you and me, Nick can be a little lacking in that department.”

But I had more than enough, so I showed her everything—the ones Elle had posted and everything from Ruby and Mum. Whenever I tried to flick through, Dottie would quietly put her hand on mine to stop me so she could study each one carefully.

“What a lucky girl. What a brave girl. She’d been so nervous as well.” Dottie clearly didn’t know Elle was immune to nerves. “I bet she’s having the most wonderful Christmas, isn’t she?”