Before I can sit down, however, Kit nods towards the open balcony door.

‘We could go and drink these outside? It shouldn’t be too cold now that we’re up here.’

‘Sounds good,’ I agree, and Kit pushes back his chair. Pouring several fingers of whisky into my glass, he slides it towards me.

‘You might need a splash of water in there,’ he warns. ‘It’s right strong enough to leave scorch marks on your tongue, this stuff.’

Reluctant for him to think I’m a lightweight, but also not keen on the idea of passing out drunk anytime soon, I take my glass over to the cold tap, before joining Kit and his bottle out on the balcony. The owner has left a few beanbags out here in lieu of furniture, and I collapse gratefully into one with a contented sigh.

‘Long day.’ Kit holds up his glass.

‘Great day,’ I reply, clinking my own against it.

The diluted whisky burns a fierce trail down my throat, and almost as soon as I have swallowed it, I begin coughing violently.

‘Oops.’ Kit pats me on the back. ‘I should have grabbed us some beers instead. I can go out to the liquor store now, if you want? It’d be no bother.’

He is already halfway to being on his feet again, but I stop him with a raised hand.

‘Don’t worry,’ I say, coughing again. ‘This is honestly nice – I just haven’t drunk whisky for a while – I forgot how strong it is.’

He doesn’t need to know that by ‘a while’, what I actually mean is ‘ever’.

‘Tui behave OK?’ he asks.

‘Out like a light. I didn’t even get to finish her bedtime story.’

‘I could tell she was bushed.’ Kit tips back his glass. ‘She gets all worked up when she’s tired – Bonnie warned me of that before she left.’

‘And you don’t mind looking after her?’ I ask, already predicting his answer.

‘Not at all.’ Kit takes another sip. ‘I feel a bit sorry for the kid, you know? Not because of her issues so much as her olds being separated. That can’t be easy on her – it wouldn’t be easy on any of us.’

‘Was Tui a planned baby?’ I ask, and Kit frowns.

‘I’ve never asked Bon that – doesn’t seem like my place, you know? But I do know that she and Simon were never married or anything like that. My mum told me that Simon was torn up when they split – he was bats about Bon, but I guess she felt differently.’

‘That’s sad,’ I say, thinking back to what Simon had said to me at the barbecue, about Bonnie being reluctant to let anyone in.

‘I guess.’ Kit is more pragmatic. ‘But it can’t have been easy on either of them to deal with Tui’s prognosis. It’s still not easy now.’