Lumin sighed, walked back towards me and reached for the lunch I’d packed for her train journey. I held it back. ‘Hug first.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Mum! I’m going to be late. And we’ve already hugged a zillion times.’

‘Just one more.’

She sighed and let me pull her towards me, wrapping her slim arms around my shoulders. I felt her cheek expand against mine, a secret smile. She loved my hugs really, even if she tried to deny it.

‘Got everything?’ I said, trying to hide the nerves I was feeling. It was ridiculous. She was the one going off to university for the first time, not me.

‘Everything,’ she said. ‘And if I haven’t, you can always post it to me. Or I’ll get it when I come back in a few weeks.’

I nodded. ‘True. You have all your paperwork, your books?’

‘Mum! I’ll be fine.’

‘I love you,’ I said softly, stroking her blonde hair from her eyes … eyes that looked so like Dylan’s. Not the colour but the way they slanted slightly, oval-shaped, hypnotic.

Oh, if only Dylan was here to witness this! He’d be so proud, our daughter going off to study art at Reykjavik University. It wasn’t just that she was starting university, but also that she would be studying in her second language. We’d lived here for eight years now so it wasn’t like she wasn’t fluent but still, it would daunt most people.

Not our girl though, I thought to myself. And I knew that would have filled her father with pride.

Tears flooded my eyes as I remembered the last time I saw Dylan. He’d given his life for our daughter, so that she’d continue living and breathing and thriving. He’d rushed into that fire without hesitation, plucking her from the flames just as he’d plucked me from that icy lake all those years ago. I’d had to watch it all from outside, my heart in my mouth until I finally saw Dylan carry Lumin onto the flame-filled landing, ready to bring her downstairs to safety.

But then the landing had begun to collapse. I could see it in his eyes as he looked out at me. He knew. He’d called out to Cole, and thrown Lumin down to him. Cole caught her, thank God. But it was too late for Dylan as the landing collapsed and he had no choice but to stumble back, right into the fire. But there was this look on his face as he did so. Relief he’d saved his daughter. And yes, maybe relief he’d no longer need to remember the death of a friend.