‘You’re damaging them with those long extensions, though,’ Lizzie says, surprising herself by reaching out and taking one of Jackie’s hands in her own to inspect the nails closer. ‘Our primate ancestors had claws, over two and a half million years ago, but over time we evolved to have nails. The little white crescents are called lunulae, meaning “little moons”.’

‘Little moons,’ Jackie says. ‘How lovely.’

‘Nails don’t keep growing after you’re dead either,’ Lizzie adds, dropping her hand. ‘That’s just the base of the nail retracting.’

‘Urgh,’ Jackie says, wrinkling her nose and laughing.

Lizzie is so used to thinking of facts to impress her son that she forgets not everyone is interested in the grotesque. ‘Sorry, my son loves all that kind of thing.’

‘I have an eight-year-old daughter who’s obsessed with sharks,’ Jackie says. ‘I have to watch Jaws almost every night. She draws herself in a cage being dunked in the sea. I don’t even like getting my hair wet, and she wants to swim with hammerheads and great whites.’

Lizzie laughs. She realizes that Jackie has relaxed her, and she likes her. She wishes they could be friends.

‘What is your daughter called?’

‘Bliss,’ Jackie says. ‘Your son?’

‘Lenny.’

Lizzie imagines introducing them, then realizes it could never happen.

‘Now then, enough about me. Tess said you were interested in charity work. There’s an evening course at Sussex Uni. Sound good?’

‘I love learning,’ Lizzie says.

‘Tess mentioned you used to be a teacher. Are you sure you don’t want to go back? I could help you. We could fill in the forms together.’

A lump appears in Lizzie’s throat. Jackie’s kindness has caught her off-balance.

‘I can’t,’ she says, her voice wavering. ‘I wish I could, but I can’t.’ She cracks then, with the understanding that she will never be able to teach again. Her career is over. She can’t go back to any of it. She’ll have to start all over again.

‘That’s okay,’ Jackie says. ‘Don’t worry. It’s all going to be okay.’ She passes Lizzie a tissue and pours her a glass of water.

Lizzie surprises them both by giving her a quick, hard hug. Jackie smells of berries and her jumper is soft. ‘Bliss is lucky to have such a lovely mum,’ Lizzie says.

‘So is Lenny,’ Jackie says back.

‘I was thinking of going to college tonight to pick up some leaflets, maybe register for a course. Strike while the iron’s hot,’ Lizzie comments later that afternoon. It’s not a good thing to say, one of the unspoken banned phrases, and she stiffens. ‘I meant …’