‘I bought it for you. It will suit you, I’m sure. What about these new walking trainers? They have grips like boots but are open in places up top – they’re rather fantastic I should think. If I could get away with them, then I would.’

‘No, Ted, honestly, I have too many pairs of walking boots anyway.’

‘Well, that’s my point: they’re trainers, not boots, so your feet don’t get too hot. The man in here has told me that they’re for mid-season, before it gets too cold. And I’ve picked up a few things for Josie. Johnny tells me that she’s taking rock climbing lessons.’

‘Really?’ It was news to Kelly that Johnny’s now fifteen-year-old daughter was interested in the outdoor life. She figured that Instagram and Love Island were about the limit of Josie’s ‘outside’ interests, in the loosest terms.

‘Yes. She’s going to Rock of Ages right here in Keswick.’

‘Rock of what?’

‘Rock of Ages. It’s new. It has the second highest climbing wall in England, after that one in Kendal. She joined last month, and already she’s on track to take her first climbing award next month.’

‘You know a lot about what she’s up to, Ted.’

‘I take an interest. She is like my granddaughter.’

Kelly had to concede this one. Kelly had begun to refer to Josie as her stepdaughter a while ago and Ted had picked up on it. Josie was independent, but then in Cumbria, a teenager perhaps had more freedoms than one who grew up in a large city. The streets were relatively safe, crime was low on average, and life possessed a rhythm more suited to fifty years ago than the hectic pressures of somewhere like London or Manchester. At first, when Josie moved in with her father, there’d been problems settling in. Josie found Cumbria dull and boring. But Kelly had to admit that more recently, she’d seen a change in the youngster. She was less critical of her father, for a start. She kept better company, and now she was partaking in activities that took her into the fresh air and away from screens. She no longer wanted to spend lengthy amounts of time with her mother. That posed its own problems because Kelly and Johnny were away sailing for three weeks in November in Florida. As quick as the idea came to her, Ted filled the space.

‘I’ve spoken to Johnny about your little dilemma, and Josie is happy to stay with me while you’re in Florida.’

It touched Kelly. Not just that Ted was showing an interest in distant relatives, but it also reminded her of how Josie had connected with her own mother. Wendy and Josie had enjoyed a banter that Kelly had certainly never had with her parents.

‘And Josie agreed?’

‘Of course.’