I feel tears welling at the thought of him and move the conversation back onto the safer ground of shopping. Even though I’m exhausted after our early flight, thought of having literally nothing to wear is making me anxious. ‘If it’s really no trouble I guess it would be good to have some clothes of my own,’ I say, although this makes me uncomfortable too because I have no money and so am basically assuming she will buy them for me. ‘Sorry, I should have brought the hospital stuff with me.’

She waves her hand impatiently. ‘No, no, no! It’s important that you should choose your own things, reclaim your own … identity.’

Whatever that may be, I think.

‘If you’re sure, then I’d love to,’ I say. I don’t want to spend the whole afternoon with this woman who is a complete stranger to me, but equally, I am going to need something to wear.

We spend the afternoon shopping – I’m bewildered and a bit embarrassed by how much we buy in somewhere called Primark, but Karen doesn’t seem to mind. I realize I have no real concept of what things cost, what is cheap or expensive. I guess Dad must have done all the shopping; I certainly don’t remember doing any, at least. And I’m almost certain I’ve never seen so many clothes in one place. All those colours on all those racks! I’m bewildered by the choice but choose some things which look a bit like things I liked best that I saw in the magazines when I was at the hospital.

Back at home (home?) I go up to my room and put my new stuff away. Even though it’s all brand new, having my own things here makes me feel a tiny bit more like I belong. Or at least makes me feel like I might do, in time.

I lie on the bed and pick up the tape, the one and only possession I have from my previous life. I take it out of its scuffed plastic box and put my finger in one of the little holes. I wish I’d brought the player too, but that would have been too big to take without Ellie noticing. I wonder if there is something I can play it on here. I’d love to listen to it, hear what’s on it. Maybe it would bring back some memories? Then again, maybe it wouldn’t. There were loads of tapes at home. It’s probably just music, like all the others. Something I listened to. I was amazed that Ellie thought having tapes was so weird and old-fashioned. Though thinking about it, there aren’t any here, and I haven’t seen any when I’ve been watching TV. I obviously have a lot to learn.

There is a knock on the door. I call, ‘Come in.’