Her dad was clearly thinking the way she was. “If you’re looking for a new apartment, all the more reason to have somewhere else to stay for a while. You don’t want to rush a big decision like that. What do you think, girls?” He shifted Molly onto his other hip. “We have plenty of room for Flora, don’t we?”

Molly nodded. “You can live with us. You won’t fit into my clothes, but I can lend you toys.”

Flora’s eyes misted. “You’re far too kind.”

She wasn’t wrong about that.

Izzy wanted to put her hand over her sister’s mouth. Molly had been virtually mute when Flora had come over to dinner. Izzy wished the trend had continued. “Flora isn’t going to live with us, Molly. She’s going to stay with us.”

Molly twisted her hair round her finger. “I said that.”

“When you live with someone it’s forever, and this won’t be forever. It’s temporary.”

Both her father and Flora turned to look at her.

Flora spoke first. “This is an imposition. Are you all sure about this?”

Izzy tensed.

Her father and Molly were both nodding. They looked at her, waiting for her to join in welcoming Flora to their home.

The horror of it choked her. Flora was moving in. She’d be there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She’d be part of the family. She’d probably try to help out as much as possible around the house, and that was Izzy’s job. Her father said she was his superstar, but how could she carry on being his superstar if Flora took over? What would her role be? She wouldn’t be needed, and if she wasn’t needed—

“Izzy?”

Her dad was looking at her. She licked her lips. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Sure it was going to be a disaster for her. She wanted to run to her dad and hug him. She wanted to tell him everything, all the awful stuff she was hiding, but she knew she couldn’t. She’d never felt so alone in her life.

All she could do was hope Flora didn’t get too comfortable. And she could probably help with that part.

“The guest room is already made up,” she said politely, “because I changed the sheets after we last had guests.”

Maybe, while Flora was eating lunch, she’d put a few additional touches to the room to remind her this wasn’t home. More photos of her mother wouldn’t hurt, just so that no one forgot what was really going on here.

Flora’s eyes turned shiny. “You’re all so generous.”

“You’re welcome,” Molly said kindly. “And now can we have lunch? I’m very hungry.”