‘It’s a fair old drive, even without the traffic, which is why I left that morning. I’d promised myself I’d be back in time for the wedding, but … Not the point,’ he said more to himself than to Lily. ‘I’ve never been able to forget the last words they said to me, at the inquest. That I should have been able to do something – to stop her.’

Lily’s eyes began to fill with tears, and he knew they were for him. That this incredible woman hurt for him.

‘And … And I couldn’t stand the fact that while I’d accused you of hiding, I realized I’d been running. This whole time. From that. From them. So,’ he said, taking a jagged breath, ‘I went to see them.’

In his mind, he saw the way that Mr Avery had opened the door, standing in front of his wife as if to protect her. From him. The hurt and fear in his eyes had nearly made Henry turn back, in fact he would have done, had Mrs Avery not pushed past her husband and reached for him, hurt, with tears but also hope in her gaze.

He’d stiffened in her awkward half embrace, but as Mrs Avery’s tears had soaked into his shirt, he’d welcomed them, welcomed the sharing of a grief so unspeakable for them and for him.

‘It was … hard. Difficult and, yes. It hurt. I hadn’t intended to stay so long, but Mrs Avery had made tea and …’

‘You always make time for tea,’ Lily concluded.

Henry smiled. ‘That’s what she said. Mr Avery was, for the most part, quiet. Which was good, in a way. It gave me the space to finally say how sorry I was. Not … to accept responsibility, but …’

The look on Mrs Avery’s face when he’d done so had been utterly unexpected. She had burst into more tears, looked to her husband, who looked to his shoes.

‘They wouldn’t hear it. They … they said that they were the ones who should have been apologizing to me.’

He still couldn’t believe it now. He could see it, a shadow echo in front of him of how Mrs Avery had said they were so sorry for shouting what they did at him. So sorry for the way they treated him after the accident. Grief-stricken, hurt and lost, they had lashed out. And even as Henry had explained that he understood, they had been unwavering.

‘How did that make you feel?’ Lily gently asked, bringing him back to the present.

‘Shocked? Sad? I’d had no idea they’d felt that way, and I still hate to think that they’ve been holding on to that for so long.’