With her vision blurring, she entered and quickly scanned each of the other rooms. She wiped her eyes and glanced around for dropped pins, stray earring backs and specks of paper. She said her goodbyes to the fluffy carpets and marble work surfaces. She hoped wherever Essie was, there was a nice view and decent cakes.

When she finally walked along the hallway and reached the front door, Liv imagined Essie calling out to her. “Goodbye, Olivia.”

Liv hesitated with her hand on the handle. “Goodbye Essie,” she said. “Thanks for everything.”

“That is all,” Essie said.

When Liv felt the handle moving downward, she jumped back and the door swept toward her by a few inches. A black boot appeared, nudging it open. Liv craned her neck to see Jake carrying a small cardboard box under one arm. She’d arranged to meet him outside the apartment block a little later that morning.

“Another resident let me in downstairs,” he said. “I finished work early and left my dad showing Katrina how to bind books. Can you believe it?”

“I need a good imagination to actually picture it.”

“Well, you certainly have that. To apologize for her behavior, I suggested Katrina should make you a notebook.”

“You might be pushing her too far.” Liv laughed. “But I do actually need a new one.”

Jake raised the box he was holding. “The postman was delivering this and I saw your name on the label. I said I’d bring it up for you.” He passed it to her.

The box felt heavy in Liv’s hands. “I think I know what it is,” she said. She crouched and set it down on the floor. Peeling back the strips of tape, she opened the flaps and curls of polystyrene sprang out.

Jake stooped to pick them up. “Got to keep this place tidy. I can see all your vacuum tracks. Imagine trying to keep this place clean with Mack and Johnny around.” He rolled his eyes.

Liv looked along the hallway. The pale gray carpets looked like an ice rink, with marks made by skates. “Imagine?” she said. “I’ve been trying to do it for years.”

They met each other’s gaze, knowing the two of them would be alone in the house for a while, until their sons came home from university for Christmas. And Liv felt in her heart it was all going to be okay.

She pulled down her sweater sleeves to cover her hands so she didn’t get fingerprints on the crystal award that lay in the box. It was a good copy of Essie’s Constellation prize. She’d ordered it while staying in the student flat, to replace the broken version, and gave the delivery address for Essie’s apartment while on autopilot. “I’ll take this to Anthony at the museum, this morning. Want to come with me?”