He shook his head.

‘Thank you.’ She felt dizzy all of a sudden, as if she might tip over. There was a line of plastic seats bolted against the wall; she went to them and sat down. After a moment, he came to sit next to her.

‘How did we end up here?’ she asked him.

‘The children’s hospital, two a.m.?’ His eyebrows flicked up.

She rolled her eyes. ‘Josh, Corinna, me. You’re doing all right but the rest of us … I mean, for fuck’s sake.’

She saw him smile. In the olden days, back then, she would have bumped her head against his shoulder, moved closer. He’d have moved his arm out and put it round her, pressed his nose into her hair. Kissed her.

‘Samir,’ she said, ‘why did you break up with me? Not the bullshit reason – the truth.’

He shifted. ‘Really? Now?’

‘Yeah, I think so.’

He glanced back towards the swing doors. She looked sideways at him, saw the new lines on his forehead draw closer together. Now? ‘Your brother,’ he said.

‘What?’

‘Luke told me that if we stayed together, you and me, got married, had kids, it’d finish your relationship with your mum and dad. I couldn’t do it, Robin. I know you’ve had your issues with them but I wanted you to have your family. It’s important. Also, when the time came, I wanted a family where I would feel welcome. Where my kids would be welcome.’

The world shifted, things she’d believed for nearly twenty years falling away. Luke.

She stared at him. ‘No,’ she said. ‘That wasn’t true. The only person who wouldn’t have welcomed you with open arms – wide open – was him.’

After he’d gone, she sat for a few minutes, trying to absorb it. When she stood and picked it up again, Lennie’s tea had gone cold. She left it by the bin and went back to the machine for a new one.

She adjusted her grip as she carried it, her fingers scalding, blood pounding in her temples. She pulled the curtain aside and put the cup on Lennie’s table, kissing her head. ‘Sorry I took so long.’

‘You missed Samir,’ said Luke, smirking from his chair on the other side.

She looked at him, made sure he was looking at her. Not today, not here. Soon, though. She watched his expression change.

‘No,’ she said. ‘I didn’t.’

Epilogue

She hadn’t told him she was coming; why give him an opportunity to say no? It was a risk, it might be a wasted journey, but then, what else was she doing? It wasn’t like she’d been pushed for time lately.

But no, to her surprise, the bloke at the desk – new, she hadn’t seen him before – hung up the phone and told her to take a seat. ‘He’s coming down.’