Anna put an arm around Gabi and pulled her close. ‘Who cares why he did it? You don’t need him. You deserve better than what he gave you.’

‘I know… I don’t want Lee, really. Just being close to someone, not feeling so…’ Gabi sobbed again.

‘So alone?’

Gabi nodded as she wiped her nose yet again.

‘I get that.’

Gabi reached out and stroked her arm. ‘You more than anyone else. And I understand in my head I should move on, but my heart feels joined to him, whether I want it or not.’

‘Like me, you’re just not in that place yet. And that’s okay. Give yourself some time and space to process it all.’

‘Like you have.’

Anna let out a dry laugh. ‘Like I’m trying to do.’

‘You have changed this year,’ Gabi said, nodding. ‘You don’t see it, but I do. That’s why you must give Brody time and space. You just said we can’t push these things.’

Anna dropped back down and rolled onto her side to face Gabi. ‘I didn’t think I wasn’t giving him that. I thought I was being a concerned friend.’ She pulled a tissue out of the box in Gabi’s hands and used one, suddenly finding herself teary too. ‘I care about him, Gabs. And I know you think that’s ridiculous, seeing as I’ve never met the man.’

‘I don’t think it’s ridiculous.’

Anna turned to look at Gabi. This was new…

‘If you find someone who makes you feel better, even for a minute, then that’s special.’ Gabi gave a hiccupy laugh. ‘Would you give me his number? I could do with some manly TLC.’

Anna laughed as she was supposed to, but it surprised her how territorial she suddenly felt about Brody. ‘You think I should stop trying to contact him?’ she asked quietly, neatly steering the conversation down another avenue.

Gabi nodded. ‘Yes, for a short time. See what happens.’

Anna sighed heavily. ‘And what if nothing happens?’

Gabi shrugged. ‘You can’t make people do what they don’t want to, or aren’t ready to do. I’ve learned this now.’

Anna shuffled towards Gabi and kissed her cheek. ‘I love you,’ she said, smiling.

Gabi made a disbelieving face, but she smiled back. ‘It’s hard not to. Now…’ she said, pushing herself up to a sitting position and surveying the tangle of shirts they were lying on. ‘What are we going to do about this mess?’

‘I have a plan,’ Anna said.

Gabi got to her feet and pulled Anna’s arm to help her sit up. ‘Which is?’

Anna looked around at the clothes strewn everywhere and the piles of black sacks around the room. ‘Like you said, this is a job one needs to be “present” for. I vote we leave this for now and open a bottle of something cold, crisp and alcoholic.’

‘Now that is a plan I can support,’ Gabi replied.

Chapter Forty-Nine

ANNA WAS WAITING for the lift in the multi-storey car park. Now it was November, the shopping centre was open until nine most nights for Christmas shopping. With her trip to Canada looming, Anna had decided to get a head start. While she was watching the numbers on the display above the lift door count down, her phone rang. She grabbed it out of her handbag but dropped it immediately when she saw the caller ID.