There’d really been nothing to do but trail off. It’d been painful, of course it had been. But it hadn’t been stomachache painful; it hadn’t been I’d-better-get-back-behind-a-closed-door-to-cry painful. I’d even helped her—once I’d shoved a granola bar in my mouth—take apart an old, particle-board bookshelf that we’d put together a couple of years ago over slices of pizza and too-sweet cans of wine, her phone blaring music as we’d worked. This time, though, we’d worked quietly, politely. I’d suggested she wrap some of the shelves in a couple of the old beach towels she has under her bed, and she’d thanked me. She’d asked if I’d maybe want to keep one of the nightstands she won’t be needing in her new place, and I’d said no.

Then I’d gone back to my room, eager to keep working.

Now I shift in my seat, my eyes tracking down to the pages in front of Lark. I really shouldn’t be frustrated—I’ve agreed to this job, and I need this job, especially because of all those boxes lining my hallway. Most of my clients these days have a pretty firm sense of what they want already, or they’re happy for me to keep doing what I’ve been doing for them. But Lark’s new to this, and new to town, and also I guess new to being asked to make decisions on behalf of herself and her new husband.

So I need to be patient.

“I know it’s ridiculous,” she says, raising a hand to her forehead, rubbing two fingers along her hairline, right by her temple. I’ve learned in these last three hours that she does this when she’s particularly stumped. Which is often.

Really often.

“It’s only that—it’s going to be on the walls.”

I smile gently. In this kind of situation, all my cheery lightness is useful, and I deploy it fully.

“But if you don’t like it,” I say airily, “you can always paint over it. And the chalk? Pffft.” I wave my hand casually. “Bit of special cleaner and a big sponge, and you’ve got a blank canvas again. No problem!”

Lark blinks at me. “I couldn’t do that,” she says, sounding shocked. She is really not at all like Princess Freddie, who was defiant, unflappable, subversive. “To all your work?”