Danuta drove carefully out of Cliffehaven towards the Cliffe estate, revelling in the sheer joy of making the journey so effortlessly after going everywhere by bicycle. She passed between the grand pillars and up the driveway and parked by the ramp which had been placed over the front steps to give the less mobile patients easier access to the grounds. Grabbing her handbag, she softly closed the car door and then ran up the steps, eager to see Stanislaw and show him her car.

She found him sitting in his room staring gloomily out of the window, clearly deep in thought. ‘Hello, there. My goodness, you’ve got a long face for such a lovely day,’ she said cheerfully.

He looked up at her sorrowfully, and held out his arms. ‘I have missed you,’ he said, gathering her on to his lap and kissing her. ‘Why you not come to see me yesterday?’

She perched there within his embrace. ‘I did tell you, Stanislaw. I was working all day and then taking my driving test – and I passed. So come on, let’s go for a lovely drive in the country.’

‘You are clever girl,’ he said, giving her another kiss and then regarding her thoughtfully. ‘You are beautiful and have good life, Danuta, with so many things to still achieve. Perhaps it is not wise for you to tie yourself to a man who will only be a burden.’

Danuta moved from his lap and looked down at him. ‘That’s defeatist talk,’ she said in Polish. ‘And I won’t have it. You are perfectly capable of doing many things if only you put some effort into it.’

He shrugged and couldn’t meet her gaze. ‘I have tried. But is no use. I cannot walk, and without legs, I am only half a man and cannot provide for you.’

Danuta realised he was in one of his darker moods, so instead of arguing with him, she fetched his prosthetic legs and held them out to him. ‘Are you going to sit and sulk here all day, Stanislaw? I have plans for us, and you will spoil my surprise if you don’t put these on and come with me.’

He heaved a great sigh, and then muttered a litany of moans under his breath as he slowly began to strap the legs on.

Danuta ignored the comments about bossy women and how a man couldn’t be left in peace, and handed him the walking sticks. ‘I know the stumps haven’t fully healed yet,’ she said, ‘so you can’t walk too far. Therefore, I shall put the wheelchair in the boot of my car.’

‘I’m not using that,’ he grumbled.

‘We’ll see,’ she murmured, steadying him as he struggled to his feet and balanced himself with the walking sticks.

She collected the wheelchair and followed him closely as he began the long walk down the corridor, ready to push the chair beneath him should he falter. They eventually reached the front door. ‘There,’ she said. ‘That wasn’t so difficult, was it?’