I take the stairs to the first floor. Faith is waiting for me on the landing outside her entrance.

‘Hello.’

‘Hey.’ Faith doesn’t smile. And she doesn’t invite me in.

‘Faith, I’m here to apologise, unreservedly, for everything.’

This evening, Faith’s eyes gleam with flecks of golden amber. She looks at me for some time before she lunges forward. Holding me so close to her, she says, ‘Oh Gracie, I’m so sorry.’ Tears stream down her face.

Soon, mine too.

We break our embrace.

‘I’ve been a nightmare,’ I say, wiping my eyes.

‘Crashing Jordan’s work party, not your finest hour…’ Faith laughs, wiping her own.

I laugh. ‘No.’

‘Attacking Alex with your umbrella.’

‘He deserved worse.’

Faith cackles. ‘Agreed.’ Her expression sobers. ‘Darling, you scared the life out of me. I wanted to snap you out of it. I never meant for you to think I didn’t care.’

‘I know.’

She was perfectly supportive, but I didn’t want to hear it. ‘I was jealous of you,’ I confess hurriedly, lest I lose my courage. ‘I haven’t always been. But I have been lately.’

‘I was sometimes full of sanctimonious bullshit and acting like a style gestapo and always thinking I know best… and whatever else you accused me of.’ Faith grins sheepishly. ‘That was on me.’

‘Love isn’t ever perfect, Faith,’ I say. ‘But you’re perfect for me. You’re my best friend and I love you.’

‘Well, you’re still completely bonkers and you’re perfect for me, too. You still make me laugh.’ Faith bursts out cackling. ‘Bloody hell, these past few months… we have to laugh, Gracie. Don’t we?’

On the landing outside her flat, we giggle through our tears and hug each other until Faith says, ‘Come inside. Darling, I’ve missed you.’

In her living room, Benny lounges under the big window watching the world go by below, outside. I plop on a stool at the kitchen bench. Faith produces a bottle of Riesling from her refrigerator. ‘It’s German. And very tasty.’ Faith opens the wine. ‘Oh Gracie, I kept replaying in my head how you accused me of being perfect, meanwhile we’re shooting an entire series about my failure to find just one man, so how does that work? You know, I’ll be thirty-four in two months.’

‘I’m not long after you.’

‘We’re getting on, darling. I can’t say I’d mind settling down with someone decent soonish.’ Something I’ve never heard Faith contemplate. ‘I’ve been reflecting on a lot of things.’ She pours two glasses of the dry white and passes one to me. ‘I know I can get a man to sleep with me, but I’ve never been brave enough to see if anyone wants to stick around. I’ve never stuck with anyone long enough to find out. Isn’t that a little sad?’