He couldn’t slosh boiling water about with Maria hanging on him like a misplaced backpack so he sat her on a chair. ‘Just while I do the hot water, OK?’ She nodded but put her arms out to him again the second he completed the task, just as Loren and Vivvi reappeared.

‘Bijou house,’ Loren commented.

‘Yep.’ He added milk to their coffee and set it on the table, gesturing to his guests to sit on the ‘glass’ chairs, some slobber-marked because Maria enjoyed squashing her face against them to peer through. He took Maria on his knee. Josie chose the seat next to his. She’d quietened now, drinking her juice and sending Nico questioning glances. He smiled reassuringly and patted her shoulder.

‘Redfern’s cheering up,’ Vivvi volunteered, as if Nico had asked after the health of his ex-father-in-law.

‘It’s good you feel comfortable to leave him,’ Nico commented.

‘Only because he’s gone to his brother’s house for the day.’ Vivvi answered so hastily she almost ran the entire sentence into one word.

Nico nodded.

Loren added her mite about how worried they’d been after her dad’s heart operation then Josie interrupted. ‘I’m starting a new school after Christmas. The sweatshirt’s burgundy.’

‘What was wrong with the old school?’ Loren asked in the tone she might have used if Josie had spent her pocket money on a new pen when she already had twenty in her pencil case.

Josie frowned, glancing at Nico uncertainly. He said gently, ‘It’s OK to tell Mum how you feel.’

The explanation Josie poured out about Mrs Calcashaw, the ‘wrong’ class and playground politics was rushed but no less than heartfelt.

Nico slid his arm around her but looked at Loren. ‘You’ll remember we discussed this. Part of the reason I moved to Middledip was its small and friendly village school. I’ve sent you updates on visiting the school and that Josie liked it. I also forwarded the email offering Josie a place.’ Nico knew she’d only had access to her phone at certain times in rehab – but she wasn’t in rehab. She was here, after only twelve days of the projected twenty-eight.

‘Of course.’ Loren smiled vaguely.

Josie’s smiles had completely vanished and her voice might even have held a note of challenge when she said, ‘We’re going to have Christmas here with Hannah and Nan Heather. Dad’s ordered lots of nice food from Tesco.’

‘Who are Hannah and Nan Heather?’ Vivvi asked. ‘New friends?’

Josie nodded emphatically. ‘Nan Heather’s very, very old. Dad knew her when he was young here with his friend Rob. And Farfar used to work near here, didn’t he, Dad?’