Clara pulled a face, which made Jo laugh out loud. It was somewhere between horrified and disgusted. ‘No, don’t read scary stories. We don’t like those. I get scary dreams sometimes. Maybe you could come and read Guess How Much I Love You, or one of my Peppa Pig books? Or that book Granny got me, about the Little Mermaid?’

‘I’m sure I could do that someday if your school would like it,’ she said, and Clara nodded enthusiastically.

‘We have mammy helpers and daddy helpers come in all the time to help us read or play or draw. Maybe big sister helpers would be allowed too.’ She looked so excited that Jo felt as if her heart would burst. She pulled Clara into a giant hug and told her she was the best girl in the entire world before giving her a kiss and promising to read her two stories at bedtime.

She watched as Clara jumped down off the bed, her ponytail swinging as she left the room singing a song of her own creation about big sisters. Jo couldn’t help but marvel at just how quickly Clara had rallied from her upset of just two days ago. At six, her little sister could pull herself together and focus on the here and now better than Jo could manage. Clara could see the good and positive in almost everything, despite all the upheaval she had endured in her young life.

Ewan’s email played through her mind again. If she were Clara, she would grab on to that and enjoy it. Approach it with the no-nonsense problem-solving of a six-year-old. Seize the day and just get on with it. Find her readers. Face whatever Ewan would tell her and move on from it.

Jo vowed then she’d do more of what made her happy and, in that moment, she had a strong feeling that would involve spending more time with Lorcan.

With flutterings of excitement, she grabbed her phone and typed a quick message to him.

The world, or at least, the North West of Ireland is our oyster. Let me know when you’re free and if there’s anything you want to see.

Jo dropped her phone on the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower, feeling lighter than she had done in days. As she shampooed her hair, Jo started to plan some of the things they could get up to during Lorcan’s time in Ireland. Hadn’t Harry said he was staying for a few weeks? If so, there was a lot they could do. Admittedly, if she had a car, and could drive, it would be easier, but that was a never a skill she felt the need to learn. She was generally happy to walk wherever she needed to go, or to bus it, or occasionally get on her bike and cycle.