She looked at me as if I were insane. “Cal,” she said, “you cannot allow Pavel Lisowki’s state of mind to become your state of mind.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Licia is back. I will not let you just stand and watch happiness slip from your grasp.”

“All right,” I said.

“You have a duty now to be happy,” she said. “A duty. To your daughters, to your son, and to your wife.”

She locked her eyes on to mine, smiled the most beautiful smile, and her wolf eyes glowed blue-white and gold. I felt in my heart that she was right.

We tipped Licia’s possessions into a black plastic sack, which we placed in the hallway. Vee wrangled the mattress from the bed and stood on the narrow deck at the front of the apartment, beating out the dust for all she was worth. Elsa and I filled buckets with Pine-Sol and hot water and washed down the walls. When Vee had finished with the mattress she fetched a bucket, began to wash down the frame of her sister’s bed.

We worked wordlessly, methodically, smiling all the while. And all the while Licia slept. Or so we thought. I was scrubbing at a mark on the skirting when I felt eyes on me. I stopped, looked up.

There she was, framed in the doorway.

“Hey,” I said.

Licia frowned.

Elsa got to her feet, walked to the door.

Vee was smiling up at her sister. “We’re cleaning up.”

Again Licia frowned.

Vee’s smile froze. I tried to catch her eye, to let her know that things were okay, but she swallowed hard and looked away.

Licia turned toward her mother, who was trying to embrace her.

“Please don’t feel you have to, Mum.”

Elsa laughed an uncertain laugh. “Have to what? Hug you, or tidy up your room?”

Licia gave Elsa a stiff little hug. “I tidy my own room, Mum. Please.”

“You know what’s weird?” said Vee pleasantly.

“What’s weird?”

“We’re all so happy to see you home. Like, really unbelievably happy. And you aren’t. You aren’t at all happy to see us.”

“Vee,” I said.

Licia was frowning at her sister.

“Well, she isn’t, Dad.” She turned toward Licia. “Are you?”

“Of course.”

“Licia,” said Elsa, “I don’t think there’s anything in your wardrobe that will fit you any longer.”

“Are you really happy to see us?” said Vee.

Elsa put an arm on Licia’s shoulder and began to turn her. “What say you come with me and pick out a couple of dresses from my wardrobe?”

Licia nodded. They walked from the room.

I looked at Vee. Vee looked at me. “What?” she said.

“It’s early days, and your sister has experienced something unbelievably traumatic, Vee.”

“Like, people dying? Or weird kidnap sex stuff?”