He fiddles with the laces. ‘Dad said I didn’t need to wear black ones.’

He slips one on and folds the laces continuously.

‘Do you want me to retie that for you?’

‘I can tie it up myself,’ he snaps. ‘I just forget sometimes.’

‘It’s okay.’

‘No, it’s not. I’m almost nine.’ But he can’t do it. He kicks the shoe off and lets it fall to the floor.

‘Do your feet hurt?’

‘Only if I do lots of walking.’ He stares up at her with his big eyes, and she looks for traces of Emma, for something to hold onto. But all she sees is a sad little boy and it breaks her heart more than anything else has today.

‘You’ve been wearing flip-flops for half a year. Of course you’ve forgotten how to tie up laces. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.’

She picks up the shoes and pulls his feet onto her knees. ‘Okay? Not too tight?’

He nods, ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome. Here,’ she puts her arms around him and pulls him close. They sit like this until a figure comes to the door and the bell rings. Then, that’s it, for the rest of the day she only sees him in small snatches, being passed around and hugged. He’s not used to all these people, all this fuss. Why don’t they know this about him? Why won’t they leave him alone? It’s hard to watch and after a few hours she decides to leave, gathering up her bag and jacket but then hovering around, wondering how to get Lewis’s attention. There’s so much they need to talk about and of course now isn’t the right time or place for it, but she needs to connect with him somehow, to let him know she’s here and ready to talk.

He’s in the living room, where he’s been for most of the afternoon. He sits in the middle of the sofa with Kiama pressed next to him, his little head on Lewis’s shoulder. It’s the clothes; she thinks again, as to why Kiama looks so unfamiliar today, that and the haircut. She can’t imagine ever looking at him again and not being overwhelmed by the urge to lift him into her arms. She feels sorry for him and she feels guilt. Does Lewis feel it too? It was their fault after all, why Emma was running away.

Lewis looks up at her and stares, he’s completely unreadable. She takes a step forward and he shakes his head marginally before looking back down at his son.