‘All done, fella? Good to go?’ Dan asks now. Fitz answers with a head-back howl. They complete their final lap, then head home, nodding to the evening regulars carrying the ubiquitous little black bags that swing in the evening wind. Since Atticus, though, nothing feels regular any more.

At home Dan cooks spaghetti for twelve minutes, slices tomato and prepares a smoothie for the morning. Fitz paces up and down with Dan’s running sock until he’s ordered to put it back in the washing, which he carefully does.

Dan calls his mother, who tells him what she had for dinner and describes the neighbours’ various ailments. ‘He’s got that disabled badge, Dan, but I’ve seen him jogging from the car to the loo.’

‘Have you?’ Dan says indulgently.

‘I have, Dan. It’s all that funny food she cooks. The smells that come out of her kitchen window. I worry about my washing.’

Dan hums and tuts and asks about his sister. ‘Do you think Dave is going to pop the question while they’re away in Tenerife?’

‘I hope so, Dan, I really do. They’ve been together four years now. Your dad would’ve liked that … What a shame he won’t be here to see her get married …’

Dan changes the subject before the tears start.

Lizzie

(Fancy seeing you here)

‘LENNY, SCHOOL IS GOING to be fun. You’ll make lots of new friends.’ Lizzie is trying to convince herself as much as him. She doesn’t want Lenny to go. She wants to keep him by her side, tuck him under her arm, cling to his hand. Fill her lungs with his sunshine. She wants to be his only friend, like he is hers.

Instead she adjusts the collar of his second-hand polo shirt and sweeps his too-long hair out of his eyes. He refuses to let her cut it. ‘Don’t want to go.’

This is a lie. Lizzie knows Lenny is bored, and desperate to get out of the shelter, and his loyalty makes her heart ache so much she has to cover it briefly with her hand. ‘You’ve been out of school too long. It’s been over a month now. You need to get back in the classroom. I wish I got to go to school! Just think of the football in the playground and I’ll be there afterwards with a Mars bar and I’ll ask Tess if we can make cupcakes later.’ Lizzie watches Lenny pretending to waver. There are no boys his age in the shelter and she is rubbish in goal. She’s always too afraid to dive.

Lenny lets her waffle on about all the fun he’s going to have as she walks him across the blustery Beacon. Maud trots along beside them, peering left and right. Lizzie wonders what or who for.