There was a muffled rustling noise of fabric against fabric, as if Anna were burrowing down into her sofa. ‘On the taxi ride home, I was thinking… I’ve decided no more dating for the moment. I’m going to concentrate on other areas of my life instead. Remember I told you I was hatching a plan to help other people like us – widows and widowers?’ And she began to fill him in on the idea of using an app to do that, not quite a social network, but a way of connecting strangers who’d lived through similar experiences.

When she finished, he sat there, stunned. There was so much hope in her idea. She’d changed so much during the time he’d known her: six months ago, he doubted she would have suggested such a thing.

‘I think that sounds amazing,’ he said.

‘I thought if anyone would understand my thinking, it would be you, Brody. I’m just pinning down some final details before I go and talk to someone about it, to see if it would be something someone else would be interested in developing.’

‘Would it help to talk it through with someone?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know much about this sort of stuff but I can listen if you need a sounding board.’ And that was what they did for the next forty-five minutes, until Anna began yawning and they ended the call so she could go to bed.

Brody sat in his chair for at least another half an hour, pondering what she’d said, thinking about how dynamic she seemed compared to him. Even though she felt bad about the whole Jeremy thing, she was still trying new things, doing something with her life. She was making progress.

So are you, a little voice in his head whispered. In small ways, so are you.

He’d noted while they’d been talking that she hadn’t mentioned meeting up on New Year’s Eve again, but he sensed she hadn’t dropped the idea. His pulse trotted at the thought. They might not have talked about it during the last week or so, but in that time he also hadn’t said ‘no’.

He’d been planning to, but his brain had stalled, and he hadn’t been able to think of a good excuse. Not one he could tell Anna, anyway. She was curious, quiet, but full of questions. He’d managed not to reveal anything he didn’t want to so far, but if he met her face to face it might be a whole lot harder.

That was one excuse for not telling her he wouldn’t be going anywhere on New Year’s Eve. The other reason, the one he wasn’t even sure he wanted to admit to himself, was that, even if he’d been able to continue to dodge her questions, he wanted what she was offering way too much, especially now he knew the ‘competition’ was no longer in the picture.

To meet her just once, to hold her just once, was all he wanted. He’d be able to walk away not exactly happy but… satisfied. It would be enough.