“But that’s not the end of it. I wish to God it was, but it’s not. You know how people say that tragedies either bring families closer together or tear them apart? I didn’t just lose Zach in that explosion. I lost Erin and Nicole too. It was all my own fault. I pushed them away. They did all the things grieving families are supposed to do, but I just couldn’t cope with it. I couldn’t cope with their grief on top of my own. I left four months after the funeral and I didn’t see Erin for five years. It’s inexcusable, I know. There were phone calls, emails, cards, but that was it. But after the concert at the Albert Hall—after your mum told me how ill she was and still she got on that stage and sang—I realized I had to make things better. I couldn’t waste any more time. When I first got back, I didn’t have any hope that Erin might let me back in her life. I wasn’t sure Nicole would even allow me to see her. I’m not suggesting for a second it’s been easy, but we’re getting there, slowly. Erin’s beginning to forgive me, and I can honestly say it’s the greatest gift I’ve ever had. And it’s within your power to give your mum that forgiveness too. It’s completely up to you.”

Ben raised his head and turned to Jess, his face washed of all color. Jess let the story settle in her mind, let it adjust to being in the outside world.

“Do you know, I’ve not told that story to anyone in five years? Usually I run a mile if there’s any chance of someone finding out. But I suppose the reason I’m telling you now is that I want you to see that even when you’re convinced relationships are beyond repair, there’s always hope.”

Jess thought about her mum and Lily in Central Park, no doubt discussing what a terrible mess her misunderstanding had made of their lives. She pulled at the cuticle of her little finger, watched the skin rip away from the nail, leaving behind a bright pink sore. “It’s all very well me worrying about how I’m going to forgive my mum. But what about Lily forgiving me? How’s she ever going to do that given the way I’ve treated her?”

“I know it’s hard. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But there’s always a chance of reconciliation. You just have to be honest enough to want it and brave enough to pursue it.”

They fell silent and Jess’s eyes roamed the lobby until they settled on a figure she wasn’t yet ready to see. “Shit, there’s Lily. Do you think she’s spotted me? I can’t talk to her yet.”

Ben followed her gaze to where Lily was standing by the staircase, scrolling through something on her phone. “Of course you can. The sooner you two start talking the sooner you can begin to repair the damage.”