Diana could now sit on the porch or go into their bedroom to read her own books, or she could go into town to shop, knowing she left them contented. She could even sketch if she wanted to. There were miracles, and maybe they were easier to recognize when everything else began to fail.

Constance wouldn’t remember how much she liked American cottage cheese and San Francisco salami, but she could still taste and enjoy them. Diana was beginning to learn her brother’s tastes, too. It didn’t matter to her that he wouldn’t notice either, having lived a life in which he was catered to. Real contentment shouldn’t often be disturbed by gratitude.

Constance went to bed early that night. David and Diana took nightcaps out on to the porch and sat in the dark so that they could see the desert sky, bright with stars as their northern sky rarely was.

‘What a lovely place,’ David said, ‘and it’s so good for you, D.’

‘To think I didn’t believe we’d ever get here again.’

‘You ought to live in this climate,’ David said.

‘It would be nice if we could import it.’

‘Haven’t you ever considered living down here, in the winter anyway?’

‘I used to, but even before travel got so difficult, I realized I’m too political a creature to stand the American climate for any length of time.’

‘There are a lot of flags about,’ David said.

‘And probably nearly half the people here are Canadian,’ Diana said, ‘but the rest are retired American military who think it’s unpatriotic to discuss politics.’

‘I’d get along with them nicely,’ David confessed.

‘You’re too amiable,’ Diana said, smiling.

‘It’s not that I don’t have the courage of my convictions. I just don’t have very many.’

‘Perhaps you’ll teach me to shed some of mine,’ Diana said.

‘Do you think Constance has forgotten how to swim?’

‘I don’t know,’ Diana said. ‘If she’d learned when she was a child, I’d feel surer about encouraging her. I never know whether I trust her instincts too much or not enough.’

‘She’s amazing,’ David said.

‘Yes,’ Diana agreed and was tempted to add, so are you, but the silence felt more comfortable.

They sat for some minutes before Diana reluctantly gave in to the sleep threatening to overcome her. Out of habit, she braced herself to get up and nearly catapulted out of the chair. She laughed, surprised.

‘I’m so agile, I’m going to have to be careful not to break a leg!’