There’s a silence but, for the first time with Jonathan and Will, it’s not entirely comfortable. I suspect it’s because they’re both contemplating the elephant that’s silently snuck into the room – namely that Jonathan did try to give in rather than fight when the going got really tough.

‘I love your house, and the artwork,’ I tell him to try to defuse the sudden awkwardness. ‘I’ll admit it’s not quite what I was expecting.’

‘The paintings are all Will’s. Good, aren’t they?’ His voice is full of pride and I’m amused to note that Will is blushing slightly. ‘The house itself was another distraction technique, if I’m honest,’ he continues with a sigh. ‘It was so awful watching Geraldine getting weaker, so I threw myself into various home improvement projects to give me something else to focus on. I told myself I was doing them for her, but the reality was they were just a clumsy way for me to step away from the reality of her illness for a while. The only one that really benefitted her was the stairlift and, if I’m honest, I absolutely hated the thing from the moment it went in. Not just because it got in the way; it was an unavoidable reminder of her illness every time I went up or down the stairs.’

‘Mum loved it though,’ Will says softly.

‘She did,’ Jonathan admits. ‘We would have had to set her up a bedroom down here if we hadn’t got it, and she would never have agreed to that.’

‘And she’d have missed out on all the crazy things you put in the bathroom to make her life easier,’ Will reminds him before turning to me. ‘Have you ever come across a walk-in bath?’

‘I’ve heard of them.’

‘Dad put one in for Mum but, being Dad, no ordinary walk-in bath would do. This is a top-of-the-range one with Jacuzzi jets and a powered seat to lower you in and lift you out of the water. Did she ever use the Jacuzzi function, Dad?’ His eyes crinkle with amusement.

‘Only once,’ Jonathan admits. ‘She said it didn’t do anything for her.’

‘You were going to put in that extraordinary kitchen too,’ Will continues. ‘The one with the worktops that went up and down so she could reach from her wheelchair.’

‘She did put her foot down about that,’ Jonathan agrees. ‘She said there wasn’t any point in throwing tons of money at a kitchen that nobody else would ever want, when she could simply teach me to cook for free instead. Always practical.’