‘We found Ash. He wasn’t lost after all,’ she tells him.

Igor stares back. ‘Aha. So that’s why I couldn’t find him under the bonnet.’ His lips twist into a grin, a joke of sorts. Sorrel giggles and waves to him. Eve steers her towards the house, feeling sick; the image of her son’s warm body crammed into the greasy workings of a truck is vivid.

Further down the drive a woman steps from a red sports car, a slim blonde with a scarf round her neck and her hair pulled tightly off her face. As she walks towards them, Eve recognizes Melissa, but she looks different today; thinner than Eve remembers, more tense.

‘Am I late?’

‘Not at all. They were all down the garden. Your daughter’s been working hard and having a lovely time.’ Eve puts an arm around Izzy, who is staring at her mother from under her fringe; her smile has vanished.

‘Has she?’ A tremor runs over Melissa’s lovely face; Eve wonders for a moment if she is going to cry. ‘Thank you, that’s good to hear.’

‘Come in.’ Eve gestures to the house. ‘I can show you what she’s done.’

‘I’d love to see it …’ Melissa glances at the house, then at her daughter as if uncertain.

‘I’ll make us some tea.’ Eve smiles. ‘There’s homemade cake.’

‘Actually, I better go.’ Melissa’s face seems to tighten. ‘Would it be okay to scan and send her work instead?’

‘Of course,’ Eve says smoothly, masking her disappointment; there will be other chances to get to know Melissa, lots of them. ‘See you on Sunday, maybe?’

‘I’ll have more time then,’ Melissa replies. ‘Say thank you, Izzy.’

Izzy follows her mother to the car without a word, wrenches open the door and climbs in. The children watch the car drive away.

‘She didn’t even say goodbye.’ Sorrel sounds disappointed. Eve puts an arm round her and cuddles her into her side. She looks for Poppy, but she has gone back into the house.

Blake is scuffling the gravel of the drive into little piles with his feet; Charley leans against her father looking tired.

‘Your wife must be wondering where you are,’ Eve says, feeling guilty for keeping him so long.

‘Oh, Grace won’t be back yet, she works full-time. It’ll be me bringing the children from now on,’ he replies.

Eve’s heart lifts at the thought. It had been so easy to talk to him; their conversation had slid seamlessly into a place in her mind that must have been ready and waiting.

The wrinkles around Martin’s eyes deepen as he nods goodbye. ‘Thanks for the magic,’ he says.

Grace

‘Fairyland? What the hell, Martin?’