In the background several people called her name. Over them she said, ‘I didn’t want to put you in the position of choosing, or me in the position of waiting for something that’s not going to happen. I’m in Switzerland, staying at Max and Ona’s.’

‘Switzerland?’ he gasped.

She sounded sad. ‘I’ve been invited over to talk about taking a full-time job here. You’ll be off on your travels too. Look, I’ve got to go. I’m being called for Christmas lunch.’ She hesitated and when she spoke again, her voice was husky. ‘I hope everything goes brilliantly for you – you know, your plans. Your courses. I hope you travel to loads of different countries and have a wonderful life.’ Then she was gone.

‘Bye,’ Isaac said dully, even though he’d just heard the beep, beep, beep, silence of an ended call. His lungs felt half their proper size. Slowly, he slid his phone into his pocket, staring unseeingly at the stainless steel of the kitchen littered with pans and splashes of gravy. He didn’t have to ask her what she meant by ‘choosing’. It was choosing between Hayley and Lily. So while he’d been concentrating on Hayley, Lily had slipped away.

Hayley’s voice came from behind him. ‘What just happened? Is Lily OK?’ She looked more like the composed Hayley he’d known. She’d managed make-up today.

He hadn’t known she was standing behind him but there was no point trying to disguise his feelings. She knew him too well and she’d obviously overheard enough. ‘Lily’s gone to Switzerland. She’s been offered a job.’

Her eyes widened and what colour she’d had drained away. ‘Because you’ve been helping me,’ she whispered. ‘What are you going to do?’

It almost seemed too difficult a question. ‘Talk to her some more … when I get the opportunity. She can’t talk right now.’ He heard his own voice, flat, defeated, but his heart felt as if it was in a puddle of blood at his feet. Unless Nicola and/or Vicky turned up like magic Hayley still couldn’t live alone for another week or two.

‘Leave it with me,’ said Hayley crisply, seeming more like the old Hayley every minute. ‘Let me see what I can do.’

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dugal and Keir burst into her bedroom before seven bellowing, ‘Happy Merry Christmas to you! Come downstairs ’cos we’re not allowed our presents till everyone’s together!’

Then they screamed out of the room again leaving Lily blinking. Recalling the joy of Christmas morning when you were five or three, she clambered into jeans and a top and hurried downstairs where she could hear childish voices bellowing, ‘C’mon, everybody, c’mon, come on!’