Instead, she would come up with a socially acceptable lie, to make herself seem normal in the eyes of the world. It could be—I’m meeting some uni friends, I’m decorating the flat, I’m meeting up with family. The family that she didn’t have any more. Anything, just to make her seem socially acceptable.

But sitting across from Mack, Flora found that she couldn’t lie. “Nothing. No plans.”

Mack clapped her hands together and smiled. “Well how about coming for a drink with me at The Reef around the corner? I’d love to show you the family pub.”

“No,” Flora responded a little too harshly. “I don’t go out at night.” Mack must think she sounded like a freak.

But instead of questioning her about it, Mack just smiled and said, “How about a walk with me and Dexter on Sunday? I’d love to meet up with you. So would Dexter.”

Flora couldn’t really say no that. Not without it seeming like a rebuff. “Okay, there’s a beautiful park near me. High Gate, have you heard of it?”

“Yeah, there’s ducks and swans and things, isn’t there?”

“That’s right. My grandpa used to take me when he was still alive,” Flora said.

“Dexter will love that. Is three o’clock okay? Mum will kill me if I’m not at Sunday lunch.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Flora looked down to her watch. It was half past five. “I better get going. I don’t like to be home any later than seven.”

As Flora stood, Mack got up quickly and said, “Do you want me and Dexter to walk you back to your car?”

“Are sure you don’t have anywhere better to be?”

Mack looked offended. “No, there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be. Let’s go.”

* * *

As they rounded the third set of stairs in the car park, Mack thanked God that she was fit. Dexter’s little legs couldn’t cope with the stairs, so Flora carried him in her arms.

Flora didn’t like using lifts and not entirely because of claustrophobia—mainly it was being stuck in a small space with other people, so Flora told her. It was one of the many new things she observed about Flora, every time she went walking with her.

One of the big things she had noticed on previous walks and today was the way she flinched and tensed every time she went by groups of people.

That she understood, since Flora was harassed and threatened by a group of men the first night they met, but she flinched and tensed up even more when a group of high school kids passed by. But she seemed to relax when Mack put her hand on her back.

“We’re on the right level now. The car’s just over in the corner.”

“Great.”