Downstairs Josie had found Daddy Day Care on an English-language channel and they vegged out in front of it, Hannah drinking coffee and he and Josie drinking milk as they laughed at Eddie Murphy. He was very conscious of Hannah. The three of them were squeezed together on the sofa. Josie was in the middle but Hannah was close enough to touch. Her hair was messy from wearing a hat but glossy as it tumbled down her back. Last night he’d made the most tentative of tentative overtures towards her and she’d jumped up and run like a frightened cat. He’d learn from that and wait to see if she became comfortable being alone with him.

He would have thought she wasn’t interested if it hadn’t been for those slow dances in November, when, her body plastered excitingly against his, her silky hair flirting with his skin, interest had pulsed off her. He cursed Rob for jolting him out of that heat haze. He wanted it back.

Sunday was the thirteenth of December, St Lucia’s Day. Carina was busy readying the church and helping the children of the procession. Lars had his angioplasty and two stents put in place in the morning and called Nico to say he needed a nap but wanted to see Nico and co later in the afternoon.

‘We’ll come,’ Hannah listened to Nico assure him. ‘See you at four.’

Hannah felt doubtful. ‘I’ll wait outside. He’ll be exhausted.’

Nico tucked his phone away, golden stubble accentuating the determined shape of his jaw. ‘Dad will want to see you too,’ he declared firmly. ‘He says he’ll be fine after a rest.’

‘It would be lovely to see him again so maybe for a few minutes,’ she agreed cautiously. The UK ice hockey leagues had restructured at around the time Nico left for the US so Lars had returned to Sweden, leaving the ice rink to a new team and a new coach.

The girls behaved well at the hospital, though Nico had to act swiftly to prevent Maria grabbing the drip of a patient being wheeled down a corridor. He apologised profusely but when he turned away made an ‘OMG!’ face at Hannah that made her smother giggles.

Lars occupied a room with three other men. Hannah let Nico go first, stooping to give Lars a gentle hug. ‘Hej, Pappa,’ then switching into English so the girls could understand, ‘How are you?’

‘Rubbish earlier, sluggish from the anaesthetic but good otherwise,’ Lars said. His hair was wispier and he was pale and lined but Hannah had no trouble recognising his kindly eyes and round face.

Josie, who talked to her grandfather frequently on Skype bounced into the conversation to tell him about their visit to the rink last night. ‘And Daddy kept skating backwards. He’s going to teach me. And he scored two goals.’