‘Time to get over being a coward and letting her suffer needlessly, after all she’d been through?’

‘It wasn’t your fault, Meg. She said she didn’t want to go to Dignitas after all.’

‘She was just protecting us. And me and Mum knew it. We knew the kindest thing was to take her, but we let her persuade us not to.’

‘You’d been through a lot too. And you weren’t to know it would drag on so long and so … horribly.’

I felt my eyes mist over with tears. I wanted to tell Hannah how much I appreciated her, how important she was to me, even though I could be prickly. She knew what I was like, knew how I could fall into that pit. I couldn’t find the words. ‘Hannah, I’m okay. But … thanks for keeping an eye on me.’

She shook her head slightly. ‘Someone has to. And how’s your mum doing?’

I closed my eyes and pictured Mum rigid with grief and horror at what Gran had gone through. ‘She’s a lot better at coping than me. Throwing herself at causes like a silver-haired ninja. I’m not sure her reaction’s entirely normal.’

‘Since when has your mum been normal? For her, heading off to El Salvador on a mercy-mission is quite in character.’

A knock on the door. ‘Oh shit, Jai’s here.’ I blinked and leaped up, negotiating the hallway, which was narrowed by the presence of too many books. The front door had been sticking in the hot weather and I had to give it such a wrench, I stumbled backwards when it finally opened.

Jai looked at me with a slight frown. ‘Always so composed and dignified.’

‘Yeah, maybe Stiletto Woman isn’t my destiny super-hero.’ I grabbed the bottle of wine and six-pack of beer he was holding. ‘I can barely stay upright in flats.’

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ He caught my eye. ‘Are you okay?’

I hurriedly rubbed my face. ‘Yes, come in.’

Jai stepped in, surveying the piles of books stacked along the wall. ‘Have they been breeding? Asexual reproduction?’

‘I had to move them around to do some cleaning. They’re reeling from the shock of it, but they’ll be fine. Come and meet Hannah.’

I led Jai into the living room and made the introductions.

‘I finally get to meet him!’ Hannah cried, then turned to Jai: ‘She’s always going on about you.’

‘I am not always going on about him, Hannah. Jesus.’

I sat Jai on the chair in the damp corner. Hamlet gave him one of the slow blinks I loved so much, and settled deeper into Hannah’s knee, purring furiously. I went to check on the food.

When I returned with drinks, it was obvious they were bonding. Possibly over-bonding.

‘Does she give you that look too?’ Hannah said. ‘Like it could freeze boiling oil.’