“It’s not a secret, although it’s been feeling like one lately,” she started. “The only reason I didn’t tell you is because I thought you might not want to hear it. You never asked why I was here or why Mum was in America even though I mentioned those things and it made me think you didn’t want to know anything about my life back home.”

I’d been ignoring it for my own selfish reasons. More guilt to stow deep down and never examine.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to pry,” I said, hoping that was a good enough explanation for me being totally rude.

“The reason I’m here staying with Oliver’s family in the first place is my parents are in America. My little brother needed surgery. A kind you can’t always get on the NHS. We don’t have any money so Uncle Harry paid for everything and they went to the States because the best surgeon is there. Uncle Harry insisted on the best. I agreed to stay here until they get back so they wouldn’t have to worry about me or spend any more of his money bringing me with them.”

She said all this in one breath like she’d been holding it in since I met her.

My mind flooded with questions I didn’t know if it was OK to even ask. What was wrong with her brother? Could he die? Had he always been like this or did he get sick suddenly? Had he had the surgery yet? Did it work?

“What’s his name?”

“Noah.”

“Tell me about him.”