Heidi had been left alone early. She’d arrived in the new town without Dell. No one knew in this town. She liked it that way. She’d worked hard even though she couldn’t get a good job, or a legitimate driver’s licence. Then Margaret had become one. Maybe it was the length and the circumstances of their singleness that allowed them to stay friends, when everyone else was trying to isolate themselves from each other. Heidi lived in hope that what had happened to Peggy and Greta would happen to her and Dell, and maybe that’s why she kept Margaret close. But Dell kept calling and getting in trouble and needing money and fighting, fighting, fighting. All the things Heidi and Dell had done for each other and all the things that Peggy and Greta had done for each other, Heidi and Margaret did for each other in those years. Everything two people who were genetically, emotionally and spatially distinct from each other could do. Heidi met Bisi and lied about Dell – said she was her sister, and then they had Ash, who was nearly nine now. Even though Heidi had Bisi and Ash, she and Margaret still helped each other. Heidi picked up the vegetables from the co-op. Margaret made sure the jug was boiled and that she had picked some peppermint from the garden.

Six years ago, Dell had died. In the end it was quick and nothing to do with Dell at all – a sudden tear forced deep parts of her heart apart. It was quick and vicious. She’d been standing at a bus stop and simply fallen to the ground. Their mother was devastated. Heidi had gone to see the body and then had a fight with their mother and left before the funeral, which she’d paid for. Margaret thought about the day they’d been grocery shopping, over a decade ago. The walk to the meeting, her arm warm against her other arm. Time had passed. They didn’t issue a death certificate, which meant for all intents and purposes that Heidi was the only one now. She’d flourished. It was a jumping-off place, and she got a good job – an important job that she loved.

‘I don’t know what this is,’ Heidi said. ‘What is this?’

Margaret looked over. It looked like a squash, but it was green. ‘It looks like a muppet,’ she said and they both laughed. ‘Or that pot plant out of Little Shop of Horrors.’

Heidi held it up and made it say ‘Feed me Seymour’ and they both laughed again. Then she put it down and looked at her phone for the email from the co-op with the list of things in the box.