‘I guess I see my role as a support to you and Sarah. And to Biddy, of course, at least while all of this is still so new. Sarah and I were chatting about setting up a shared calendar on Apple for you three, to make things easier. And maybe for me too, you know, if you give me access, for my babysitting availability.’

I slurped, apologised.

‘And you’re getting on OK?’ he said. ‘I mean, from your perspective, you and Sarah.’

I dabbed the sides of my mouth with a serviette – breathe. ‘Yeah, no problem.’

He finished his soup, lifted a dumpling, put it on his plate, put the chopsticks down, reached into his jacket for a pen. ‘We ended up practising each other’s signatures in your kitchen. Dude, Sarah’s is so wild.’ He took the napkin he’d just dabbed his mouth with, whipped the pen with a flourish. And there it was, Sarah’s signature: the looping S, the exaggerated F for Flood.

‘That’s pretty good,’ I said.

‘I can do yours if you like.’

‘Maybe later.’

He put the pen back in his jacket. ‘And Biddy told you she’s invited me to some pub quiz next week?’

‘Yeah, she told me.’ She hadn’t – what the fuck was going on? ‘So, tell me about this interview.’

A mother and child on the street, looking at us through the window. I waved, they smiled.

‘I suppose you know why I’m looking for work.’

‘Better pay?’

‘Josh hasn’t spoken with you?’

‘I’ve been … yeah, busy. Tell me.’

He adjusted his glasses. ‘Yeah, I think he misses you, dude. He was actually bagging you out a bit the other night – but you didn’t hear that from me.’

‘Right.’ What the fuck, Josh? I thought we were –

‘Anyway,’ Zac said, ‘as you know, I’ve put my heart and soul into my job at Trend, and have been with the company for –’

‘Nearly three months. And?’

‘And there’s a four-month probation period for senior management.

So, yeah …’ He shrugged.

Was that it? The whole story? Why was Josh bagging me out?

‘Have they said they’re giving you the arse?’

‘Not in those exact words.’ He leant back, looked around. ‘But I’m currently training my replacement, a woman from Bendigo who just happens to be related to my boss.’

‘Dude, that’s fucked up. What will you do?’

‘Get this new job, I guess.’ He shrugged again.

‘If you need some money I can –’

‘That’s not an issue, dude. But it’s very generous of you to offer.’

* * *

Sarah smiled, seemed surprised I’d come in the back door with my bike, turned from the sink, extended her arms, recited some Rumi.

‘Lovely,’ I said, stepping out of my bike shoes, kicking them to the wall.

‘Put your wet stuff there,’ she said, pointing.