The heat pushes her back like a wall of resistance then he bursts out, coughing, stumbling. Face black with soot, eyes streaming from the smoke, Annie in his arms like a dead weight, eyes closed and overcome by it all.

Richard falls to his knees in the yard, the cold flagstones sending a welcome chill through him as Annie rolls out of his arms and onto the ground, senseless but safe.

‘You bloody idiot!’ sobs Mary. ‘You bloody idiot, Richard!’

‘Sorry,’ he mutters, looking up at her as she throws herself at him, pummels him with her fists for a moment before holding him as tightly as she can, as she has wanted to for so long now. She digs her fingers deep into his hair, feels his warmth wrap around her as his arms clasp her tightly in return and she sobs into his chest.

Etta watches, sighs, breathes in London air. Ash and soot.

She turns to Natalya. ‘I, for one, have had enough of cities,’ she says softly, as she looks again at the fire, tendrils of flame now reaching through the roof. ‘Perhaps it is time we were going.’

‘Where?’ Natalya asks. ‘And how?’

But Etta only smiles at her as she steps forward, brings her close.

‘Put your feet on mine,’ she says. ‘Hold your arms around me. As tight as you can,’ and Natalya does so, wrapping herself around Etta and her white silk dress.

Etta looks up at the sky, takes a deep breath, and stretches her wings. She opens them out, lets them softly beat for the first time.

She looks back at Natalya and their eyes lock. ‘I have no idea if this will work,’ Etta whispers and they both smile.

Charlie and Jos burst through the back gate just in time as Richard motions to his beloved Mary.

‘Look,’ he coughs. ‘Look!’ And she turns her head.

For Etta’s wings, those magnificent russet wings, beat slowly at first, lifting her and Natalya up for a moment, just an inch or two. Then, as they beat faster, as strength turns to confidence, Etta rises, holding Natalya close, her friend’s eyes scrunched tight with both fear and excitement. The sky opens and Etta’s wings hum, slicing through the air like a knife as she ascends, as she flies for the very first time.

‘Open your eyes!’ Etta whispers in Natalya’s ear, as she marvels at all she has become.

The ash from the burning house falls around them, swirling around the yard and fluttering down, looking for all the world like the first flakes of winter snow.