‘Okay,’ Emma says deflated. ‘I was so happy that you came anyway. The last few times I’ve invited you out you’ve shown zero interest. I was starting to get a complex.’

‘That’s definitely not true. What have you invited me to?’

‘Last week, I invited you to a picnic on the Heath.’

‘On a Monday afternoon. Plus, I hate picnics. All that warm hummus and sitting on the grass. Also, I told you, I’m working seven days most weeks.’

‘Okay, so no house parties, no picnics and no hummus.’

The sound of someone attempting to play ‘Last Nite’ on a guitar interrupts the conversation.

‘Right, that’s definitely my cue,’ Yvonne says as she stands up.

Emma stands too and they loop arms as they make their way through the hallway. A couple sit necking on the bottom step and Emma shakes her head, ‘Urgh, everything looks so graphic when you’re sober.’ She pulls a blue pleather biker jacket from the overflowing coatrack and puts it over Yvonne’s shoulders. ‘Here, the temperature’s meant to drop tonight.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I still have so many of your clothes anyway.’

Yvonne bats a hand away like she doesn’t care, but even as she got dressed for this party she felt the loss of all the items Emma had borrowed over the years and never returned.

‘Let me know when you’re free. I’ll come over to your mum’s place. I’ll bring a pie or something.’

Yvonne smiles at her. ‘Good. Also, I’ll see you at graduation. Have you ordered your tickets yet? You can’t leave it last minute.’

‘I don’t think I’ll go. They should have done it straight after we left. Why have they dragged it out all these months? Plus graduation is for parents really, to feel proud about their kid. And there’s no way my parents are going to travel all this way to see me get my 2.2.’

‘They might surprise you. But even if not, I’ll be there and I’m proud of you.’

They give each other a tight hug and Yvonne pulls away to open the front door. ‘Graduation,’ she calls over her shoulder. ‘You worked for it. Order your gown.’

‘Maybe.’ Emma blows her a kiss.