‘Yep, this time of year, there’s always a plug to be filled in some department.’ Actually, she’d be tempted to go back even if they didn’t; now she thought about the flat. The last thing she needed was to leave it too long. It would be too depressing to think of going back to full shifts and still having to sort everything out in her free time. She could imagine the coldness of the place; no, far better to go back in her own time and get her life back into some kind of new order that was of her own fashioning. Then she could start the New Year with a clean slate.

‘You’re thinking about the flat and Eddie and the mess of having to get this all sorted out as painlessly as possible,’ Pete cut into her thoughts.

‘Honestly, it’s like you can read my mind.’ He always could, she knew; it came from both of them sitting beside Rachel, having the same thoughts and fears and never being able to give them voice.

‘Maybe I can.’ He laughed. ‘Look, if you’re going back, I can give you a lift, help you clear things out and change the locks, if you’d like.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that. It seems very—’

‘Sensible, if you ask me. You know, Eddie’s lost that front door key more times than he can count?’

‘To be fair, he’s never been very good at maths.’ She managed to knock a laugh out of Pete with that one.

‘You know what I mean. Let me do this for you. It’s only such a small thing, but it’d mean…’ He let the words run off, because she knew what it would mean. It would mean keeping his word to Rachel. It would mean he was still looking out for her, keeping her safe, keeping that connection alive for a little longer. ‘And anyway, have you thought about maybe moving all his stuff over to the workshop? You don’t own a car, remember?’

‘Okay, so, you’ve talked me into it.’

*

Finn rang the doorbell at exactly seven-thirty. Bang on time, and Liv couldn’t help but compare that to Eddie’s constant tardiness.

‘Wish me luck?’ she said to Maya before heading for the door.

‘Hang on,’ Maya said pushing her into the bedroom. ‘I’ll get this; you go reapply some lipstick or something.’

From the bedroom, Liv listened while Maya introduced herself and let Finn in. When Liv walked into the sitting room, they were standing opposite each other, Finn chatting happily while Maya took the measure of him, and Liv loved her sister all the more for her concerned attitude. No-one was going to do to Liv again what Eddie had done, not if Maya could help it.

‘So, you’ve met Maya?’ Liv asked as she put on her coat.