‘You know who your daddy is.’

Linus looked confused. Of course he knew his own father. Max. The man at breakfast and dinner, kicking a ball in the park on Saturdays and there at every school concert and play. The man who made the World’s Best BLT and tickled him till he wet himself, who had never yet beaten him at Fortnite and yet still played without complaint, who took him to the Hammarby IF handball games in Eriksdalshallen and went skiing off-piste with him whilst the girls did the bunny runs, who watched all the Bond films in one week with him when he’d broken his leg. He had never even questioned it.

He looked back towards the room, its door firmly shut, no sound escaping from it now. ‘So he’s my godfather?’

Hanna hesitated, then gave another shrug, the action careless and cold. ‘Yes.’ She took his hand in hers and kissed it, her decision made, her resolve growing again. ‘Like I said, just someone I used to know.’

Linus softened, accepting the lie, the tension slackening in his face. ‘So then, can we get ice cream now?’

Another pause, and Bell saw invisible doors to the truth slamming between them and clicking to a lock.

‘Sure,’ Hanna smiled, getting up and – still holding his hand – beginning to swing his arm as they turned and walked down the corridor, as though they were in the park.

Bell stood rooted to the spot as she watched them go ahead, walking without a backward glance from the room where a man lay distressed, withered – and now abandoned. He had spent seven years here on the brink of death, trapped in a half-life, but his injuries had robbed him of far more than his consciousness. He couldn’t know it yet, but, Bell thought as she followed slowly after his wife and son in silent dismay, he was soon going to realize that waking up had been the easy part.

Part Two

Chapter Five

Six months later – June 2019

‘The dolls’ house? Really?’ Bell asked, looking down at the pink plastic monstrosity. It had a purple handle shaped like a hairbrush. An oversized doll had been squashed into one of the rooms, leaving its backside dangling alarmingly through the window.

‘Mamma said we could!’ Tilde protested, looking up at her imploringly.

‘Well, I guess if Mamma says it’s okay . . .’ Bell sighed, blowing out through her cheeks as she looked around at the ever-increasing pile of toys surrounding the never-diminishing pile of bags on the floor.

Max came running back through, ready to cart the next load into the car. ‘Right, we’re nearly – Oh!’

Bell gave him an ‘exactly’ look.

‘That wasn’t there a minute ago, was it?’

‘Mamma said we could!’ Tilde repeated, just as Hanna herself came down the stairs with a gently enquiring glance.

‘Well, if Mamma says it’s okay, I guess it’s okay,’ Max shrugged, picking up the dolls’ house in one hand and Linus’s new skateboard and ramp in the other, soft bags shoved under his arms.