Suddenly, it never felt less like Christmas Day and Liv felt a trembling sadness descend on her. Here she was washing Eddie’s socks when she should have been swept off her feet in a romantic proposal and wearing the ring that meant so much more to her than maybe even Eddie could possibly know. She took a deep breath. She was being silly; she was just tired and overwrought after the accident and the long shift; and seeing the flat like this, well, it felt a little like the final straw in her exhaustion.

After she made beans on toast and a pot of tea she sat down with her iPad at the little kitchen counter and called her mother on Zoom. ‘Hi, Mum. Is the party over already?’

‘No, not at all,’ her mother said – she was in the big old farmhouse kitchen and it looked as if she was waiting for the kettle to boil. ‘Our guests have gone home, but we’re all settling down to a lovely cup of tea and then Maya and your dad are going to go and take a look at the lambs.’

‘Hi, sis.’ Maya stuck her head in over her mother’s shoulder. She looked beautiful as usual, relaxed and happy and, for a terrible moment, Liv felt as if she might cry because she missed being at home with them so much. ‘Thank goodness you’ve finished for the day. Can you come home now?’

‘Nope, I’m afraid not. I’ve never seen the hospital busier, I can’t just go and abandon them.’

‘Gosh, I don’t know how you do it, honestly,’ Maya said. True enough – Maya almost fainted at the sight of blood.

‘Well, I couldn’t be a solicitor if you paid me, so there you go.’ That was also true – Liv didn’t have enough fight in her to win an argument with the cat, never mind represent someone else in a courtroom. ‘How was Barbara?’ For some reason, asking about Eddie was like admitting that he hadn’t picked up the phone to so much as wish her a happy Christmas.

‘The usual,’ Maya said about to go off on a long reel about Eddie’s mother’s current list of complaints.

‘Ah now, she was very well behaved.’ Her mother cut her off, but Liv noticed the sharp dig she gave Maya with her elbow. ‘And as for Eddie, I think he had a grand old time. There’s peace in him; he just helps himself and you don’t have to worry about him,’ her mother said kindly.

‘Yes, show him the drinks cabinet and he really knows how to help himself.’ Maya rolled her eyes.

‘So, that’s enough about down here. What’s going on there now?’ Her mother peered closer to her phone.