‘Wow,’ she whispered. ‘But what about you? How are you feeling?’

‘Blindsided,’ he admitted.

She gave him a hug. Her hair smelled of coffee. ‘You need someone on your side. I was going to crash but I’ll stay up and help with the girls.’

He tugged her ponytail. Some students who’d fallen into free board and lodging while at uni would soon forget there was anything expected of them in return. Emelie, however, never failed to do her bit. ‘Grab a few hours,’ he suggested in a low voice. ‘They’re playing nicely at the moment. I’d like you fresh for if I need reinforcements.’

Emelie giggled then crept off to her room, obviously intent on flying under the radar of young persons who might demand her attention.

The girls played together all morning. After showering, Nico caught up on laundry and household stuff, interrupted by requests to rearrange things in Josie’s room or approve snacks. Maria was so enraptured by having her sister to play with that she didn’t ask for Loren once. She was a model houseguest except for her tendency to squeal at a pitch only dolphins could hear.

Tilly, as arranged, called at lunchtime. Nico was at the kitchen breakfast bar in front of his laptop. He recounted the Maria story yet again, though terming Loren merely ‘unwell’. ‘So I’m wondering whether you could come to me full-time this week to look after Maria. It’ll mean extra money, of course.’ He was erring on the side of caution in making arrangements for the entire week but there was no sense assuming Loren would have sorted herself out in a day or so, no matter how much he hoped that would be the case.

To his dismay, Tilly sounded astonished. ‘I have gardening jobs booked in every day this week till two-thirty because Josie’s back at school.’

‘Every day?’ Nico hadn’t expected Tilly to leap at the chance but he thought she’d be a little more flexible.

Dubiously, Tilly amended, ‘I suppose I can cover any day it rains heavily, so I can’t garden.’

‘Right.’ Nico clicked on the weather app at the side of his laptop screen. Bloody England first week in November but not a drop of rain was forecast all week. ‘Not even just Monday?’ he pressed, in case he could coax her into a concession. Then, when Tilly just mumbled an apology: ‘Right. I’ll see you in the morning for the school run as usual. Can you look after Maria with Josie for three hours after school for an extra two pounds an hour? You’ll be here with Josie anyway.’

Tilly said, ‘OK,’ but didn’t sound enthusiastic.

‘They play well together,’ he said encouragingly, before ending the call and dropping his phone on the counter.