‘Is this really going to happen?’ she said. She came towards me, lips parting. I leant in, not believing … Biddy’s mouth on mine, feather soft, summer cantaloupe, Biddy’s tongue, sweetened almond, bright lights, dark eternal secrets, our hands in each other’s back pockets, Biddy …

Woah.

We stood hugging, our ears touching. She was a full head taller than Sarah.

I said, ‘I’d no idea you felt anything for me.’

‘Really?’ She laughed.

‘I’ve got this thing, like I’m invisible or something. But I always notice you.’

‘And my funny hand doesn’t bother you?’

‘I really like it.’

A broad smile, eyebrows raised. ‘What do you like about it?’

‘No idea. But it’s cool.’

We walked on, hand in hand, sat on the bench at the end of the street, started kissing again – Oh, how we … I’d gone fifteen years knowing only Sarah’s mouth, but less so, less, ever less. I couldn’t believe –

Biddy withdrew, held my shoulders. ‘Maybe this is all moving too fast.’

‘Yeah, maybe.’

A pained expression. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t go any further.’

‘Yeah, maybe.’

‘I’m breathless.’

‘Me too.’

We clip-clopped back to the house, our hands slipping apart at the gate, walked round the back.

‘Hello, you two,’ Zac said. He was smoking alone in the garden, the bathroom light reflecting in his lenses.

‘Hey,’ I said.

‘Hello,’ Biddy said.

‘Josh went home. He said goodbye. I don’t think he was too pissed off.’ Zac’s eyes burrowing.

I went back into the house with Biddy, ducked my head into the bedroom – Sarah was still out cold, good – closed the door.

Biddy was on the sofa, Zac’s footsteps in the hallway. ‘A change of music?’ he said.

‘Yeah, whatever, man.’ I sat opposite Biddy, wanted to be closer.

Zac paused the music, plugged his phone into the amp, started playing something by The Strokes.

‘Good choice,’ Biddy said.

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘That bit at the start, before the first downbeat, that roll – that’s called anacrusis. Did I mention my mother’s a lyricist?’

He joined us on the sofa, smiled at Biddy, nodded at me, held his stomach.

‘How you going?’ I said.

‘Yeah, feeling a bit unsettled. Just my tummy mainly. But otherwise all good.’ His eyes seemed to be asking what had happened with Biddy, where we’d been for so long, what in fuck’s name was going on. Mine tried to tell him not to worry and, if he wanted, to go fuck himself, because things were fine, maybe, or completely off the rails.

He’d stay the night for sure. He’d told Sarah and me he slept better on our sofa than his bed in Collingwood, and seemed only half-upset when I’d said we should officially adopt him.

‘I’m getting more wine if anyone wants?’ Biddy said, standing, heading for –

‘Oh,’ said Zac.

‘What’s up?’ she said.