‘They made me see a lot of counsellors and doctors, but I’m not depressed, Fern. I’m embarrassed now by what I did, but I was at my lowest point. This break was to prove to myself I could mingle with strangers and not be regarded as odd. You and Patricia reached out to me, then Taylor. And Nico has been brilliant, too. I’ve only spoken to him a couple of times, but when I told him I wanted to stay on, he said he’d talk to my parents. I’ve spent my whole life being constantly judged by my parents for not quite fitting in, but here I feel a sense of freedom and it’s liberating. Aside from my nan, who thinks I can’t do anything wrong. Now, she does spoil me.’

‘So, your future is a blank page. Exciting.’ My enthusiasm is real, because I believe there is no going back for her and the danger has passed. But the next steps are going to be vital to her recovery.

‘Yes. And after talking to Taylor, I’m not going to rush my decision about what happens next. I might stay on for a couple of extra weeks if I can get my parents to agree to another extension. Taylor is a bit of a loner, too, and I want to help bolster his confidence. Like you’ve done with me, Fern.’

‘I’m not a counsellor, Kellie. I just happen to have a younger sister who is only a year older than you. The world can be scary at times and we don’t always know what to do next. Life is all about trial and error, which can be a painful process. But we all need someone to confide in and it helps when that someone has had similar experiences.’

‘Your sister is lucky. I hope she appreciates having you around. Can I see your painting? I know you’ve only just started, but can I take a look?’

It’s an afternoon of sharing and by the end of the day I feel positive. There’s a natural source of healing here, in this place. It’s something I don’t fully understand, but Kellie feels it too. So does Nico. And Ceana.

My year here is not going to be wasted. What Kellie taught me today is that I have two skills I’ve never considered to be of any particular merit. One is that I’m a good listener; the other is that my natural instinct is to be a source of encouragement and optimism. Maybe that’s why I ended up working in HR. It’s all about the complexities of human nature and the importance of communication to solve the problems that arise along the way.

If only I could solve Aiden’s problem. In our case, communication seems to be making things worse, not better.