“Because Uncle Thomas has sent two of his best people, Jamsey and Murdo, to take us back home.”

“That’s nice of him.” Flora was immediately nervous. She had seen them from afar, when they’d picked up Isla, but had not talked to them.

“Don’t worry,” Mack said. “I’ll be your voice if you need it. Let’s go.”

They made slow, painful progress down the corridor to the lift.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to get a wheelchair?” Mack asked.

“No, I’ll be okay.”

They got inside the lift, and thankfully it was empty. Flora hated the close confined space of a lift with strangers. Mack turned to her and said, “You know I’m never going to let you go, don’t you?”

Flora smiled. “That would make me happy.”

“Will you live with me? I mean, can we live together?”

“I’d love that.” Flora felt so happy. She would never have to feel unsafe and alone again. “But where will we live? Yours, mine, or somewhere new?”

The lift stopped and someone got on. Mack rolled her eyes, but after one stop they left.

Mack put her hands on Flora’s hips. “I was thinking yours and mine.”

Flora was lost. “What do you mean?”

Mack pulled a set of keys from her pocket. “I’m your new neighbour.”

“The upstairs flat?” Flora said excitedly.

“Aye, I thought we could put the flats back together into the house it was years ago.”

Flora forgot about her rib pain and made a move to hug Mack. “Oww, that’s sore.”

Instead Mack put her arms around her and gently kissed her. “I’m going to do everything to make sure you have a happy life.”

The lift opened, and Mack helped her out. But Flora felt she had to say one thing. “Wait a minute before we go outside.”

“What?”

Flora was nervous to say this. She rubbed her nose and tapped her chest discreetly.

“You know that with the new medication for my OCD and my therapy with Dr. Carrson my symptoms will become easier to manage, but I’ll always be autistic and have anxiety issues. I won’t just get better.”

“I know that. Why would you even say that?”

“I—I wanted you to be clear before your tied yourself down to me,” Flora said.

“I won’t be tied down to you—we’ll be tied together, hopefully for the rest of time. I love everything about you, wee mouse. Everything. Okay?”

Flora smiled. “Okay. I just had to say it.”

“Before we go, I wanted to give you this.” Mack took out Flora’s heart-shaped locket.

“You found it?”

“I found it and had it repaired. I’ll put it on, and we can get going.”