‘He looks fine. I expect doing a big lunch like this took it out of him more than he’d realised.’

Will looks sceptical. ‘Either that or he’s up to something. It had better not be the latter. Right, let’s get this lot cleared up because two can play at the afternoon nap game. If Dad’s going to have a kip, there’s something I want to do.’

Given the amount of food that appeared on the table, I was expecting the kitchen to be carnage, but Jonathan’s obviously a tidy cook as, apart from the plates and serving dishes, everything is already clean. Most of what’s left gets stacked in the dishwasher, and then Will starts hunting through the bunches of keys that are hanging neatly on hooks inside one of the cupboards.

‘He’s been out to the workshop,’ he tells me as he unhooks one on a red label. ‘I want to see what he’s been up to. Coming?’

‘Umm, sure.’

‘I’m not supposed to go out there unsupervised. Old rule from when I was little, so we have to be discreet,’ he explains as he quietly unlocks and opens the back door. ‘He was terrified that I’d fiddle with something and hurt myself.’

It’s raining as we step out on to the paving slabs leading to the shed, and we’ve barely taken a couple of steps before my trainers lose their grip on the slippery stones. Before I’ve even had a chance to register that I’m off balance, Will has grabbed my hand to steady me.

‘Sorry, I didn’t think. These stones are lethal in the wet, aren’t they? I’ll have to find a way to say something to Dad about them without him knowing I’ve been out here. The last thing we need is for him to fall and break something,’ he says. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes, fine. I should have been looking where I was going more carefully.’

Will continues to hold my hand as we make our way across to the workshop. The sensation is unfamiliar and it takes me a moment to realise that’s because Luke never held my hand. At the time, I thought it was just one of his quirks, but now I realise he was simply scared that someone might see us and report it to Cindy. I make a conscious effort to push the thought out of my head and focus on being in the moment. I’m enjoying the warmth of Will’s hand around mine as he guides me down the path and I’m almost a little disappointed when we reach the workshop and he lets go to deal with the padlock.