They joined the others in the tea shop, though the encounter with Albin had left Nico with a bad taste rather than an appetite. Then it was time to retrieve their bags and take the train home. The girls both slept on the journey. As the snow-coated scenery flashed past the window, Nico linked fingers with Hannah beneath the table. He thought he’d been discreet until Carina hugged him in the station car park before getting into her own car, whispering, ‘She’s a good girl. I hope she makes you happy.’

Nico hugged her back and murmured, ‘So far, so good.’ Then he took a refreshed Josie to visit his dad in hospital as Hannah professed herself happy to be dropped off to put Maria to bed.

Lars was beginning to look more of a normal colour now. He beamed, hair sticking out untidily. ‘Out of hospital tomorrow. Then I’ll have to behave myself, under your mother’s nose again.’

Nico laughed. ‘One of these days, Dad, you’ll have to explain your relationship to me.’

Lars beamed harder. ‘When I understand it myself.’

Eventually, Nico drove Josie home and she got into her unicorn onesie to cuddle up on the sofa between him and Hannah and play a game on her iPad. He was far too early to tell Josie about the change between him and Hannah but he watched the warmth of their interaction with pleasure. ‘Come on,’ he murmured when Josie’s eyelids began to close, sliding her slight body into his arms. ‘I’ll carry you to bed.’

Josie giggled. ‘I’m not a baby!’ But she snuggled into him as if she were Maria. ‘Stockholm was awesome,’ she told him sleepily as he kissed her goodnight.

‘It really was,’ he agreed.

Later, he carried Hannah to bed, too.

The rest of the Swedish trip passed in a blur.

Nico turned up at the hospital to fetch Lars and was surprised to find Mattias already there. ‘Hej,’ he said. ‘I thought I was moving Dad into Mum’s spare room.’

Mattias shrugged a shoulder. ‘I got a couple of hours off work.’

Nico had little to do but watch medical staff swishing around and listen to the noises of the ward while Mattias packed Lars’s things. Then Lars drew the curtains around his bed to dress. ‘Dad staying with Mum,’ Nico tried, rather than stand in silence. ‘Makes you wonder what the divorce was about.’

Mattias suddenly swung on him, eyes blazing, voice a hoarse whisper. ‘It was about your ice hockey career, which came to nothing anyway! Dad got the offer and you, golden balls, had to go off with him to the UK.’