‘Sorry.’ Nell stepped back, looking at Chris as Maude opened the box.

‘They’re cheap enough,’ he said.

‘Look.’ Maude slid the flip-flops onto her hands; they were a bright aqua blue and decorated with red and purple foam shells, she danced them in the air.

‘Very tasteful,’ said Nell, ‘and completely unnecessary. I found your old ones, well, one of them.’

‘Oh.’ Maude blinked at her. ‘Well, these are nicer anyway.’

‘I tripped on it,’ Nell went on. ‘Look.’ She held out her arm; the graze was beginning to fade. ‘I fell. I nearly cracked my head open.’

‘Sorry.’ Maude looked at her dad. ‘I didn’t mean to – where was it?’

‘By the table,’ said Nell, ‘if you looked after your things a little more carefully—’

‘I said I was sorry.’ Maude’s eyes filled with tears.

‘It’s all right, Maggot,’ said Chris, reaching out to ruffle her hair, and for once she didn’t shy away. ‘There’s no harm done, is there?’

‘No. I . . .’ Nell found she couldn’t face yet another row, not when they’d barely got over the last one. ‘I broke my phone, though.’

‘We’ll sort something out.’

‘And you do need to take more care of your stuff, Maude.’

‘Yes. Sorry.’ Maude sat down and kicked off her sneakers. ‘Where’s the shoe?’ she asked putting on the new flips-flops. ‘What have you done with it?’

‘I put it away,’ said Nell. ‘It’s under the sink.’

‘Nell. That’s not very . . .’ Maude struggled to find the right word. ‘Respectful.’

‘We can’t just leave it lying about, certainly not in the mess you two make of this place.’

‘Here we go.’ Chris picked up the shoebox before Maude could answer. ‘Perfect.’

‘It’s too big,’ said Maude.

‘Fine.’ Chris grabbed that day’s paper and pulled a couple of sheets free. ‘How about this?’

Nell moved to one side and watched as Maude retrieved the shoe from under the sink, and Chris wadded up the paper, the both of them positioning the shoe carefully, as if it were something delicate, precious. They were very alike, the same colouring, the same sense of humour, and a shared tendency for sudden wild enthusiasms.

‘You’ve caught the sun,’ she said, ‘both of you.’

‘Dad forgot the suncream,’ said Maude.

‘You fuss too much,’ said Chris. Nell wasn’t quite sure where that comment was directed.

When the shoe was finally arranged to Maude’s satisfaction, she asked her dad, ‘Can I keep it up in my room?’

‘I don’t think so, Maudie.’

‘Well, that’s not fair.’ She gazed sadly into the box.

‘You’ll get over it.’

‘We need to ring the agents, let them know about the panel,’ said Nell, ‘and – everything.’

‘It’s a bit late now,’ said Chris, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow. Now, who wants to help with dinner?’

‘Do I have to?’ Maude looked up at her father. ‘I’m so tired.’