For a second Lena was poleaxed with pain and love. It was still a shock, him being here. Over the past six years he’d been this calming, supportive presence who was never actually, you know, present. After his release he’d come to live with them in Brisbane and, although no one said it out loud, it was kind of awful. Prison had changed him, which sounds obvious, but it had been such a short time. Barely four months he was in and low security and all. Mum and the Dick had reassured her over and over that the kind of jail he went to was nothing like on TV. Will’s experience wouldn’t be much worse than a strict school camp. Three meals a day, exercise, recreation time. Just that he had to share space with randoms and he couldn’t leave when he wanted.

But when he came back he was a different boy, man, whatever. He looked weirdly younger. Maybe all the time out of the sun, maybe his too-short hair, maybe the nervous stillness with which he held himself. Younger except around his eyes, which seemed permanently squinted, as though his face had frozen on its way to a cringe. After a month or so of trying to pretend everything was as it had always been, that the only thing different was the Dick lived with them instead of Dad and that here the sun tried to kill you for nine months of the year instead of three, Will took off to chase a job a mate had told him about further north.

It was easier to be close again once he left. Once she didn’t have to look at his stiff neck and crinkled eyes. Text messages speeding back and forth across the state, exchanging jokes and complaints and secrets. Six years of that and now he was here, broader across the shoulders and more tanned than she’d ever seen him. Hair past his shoulders, beard growing in. Here in Nic’s hallway, talking to the social worker like he’s known her his whole life. This man so relaxed and confident that he made others feel relaxed and confident too. The broken brother who had gone away and turned into Dad.

‘You’ve obviously been working super hard here.’ Ada touched Will’s arm as she said it, smiled like she was really, truly proud of him.

‘Nah, not really. Lena’s done most of it,’ Will said, but with a one-shouldered shrug that communicated the opposite.

‘As you can see the hallway is completely clear,’ Lena said.

Ada managed to drag her attention from Will, noted something on her clipboard, took a few photos with her phone. ‘How’s your aunt’s bedroom?’