He nodded and read the engraved lettering. “You might win something like that, one day,” he said.

Liv didn’t joke, or bat his words away, or say that it was impossible. Instead she imagined how that would feel. “Well done, sweet pea,” her dad whispered in her ear. “I’d love that,” she said. She didn’t need a prize to feel his pride in her, and her own pride in herself.

Jake stood back up and looked around him, at the high ceilings, pristine white walls and skirting boards without scuff marks.

“I can show you around, if you like?” she offered. “You’ll need to take off your boots.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s my kind of place. It’s too stark and I like my home comforts.”

“Me, too.” She smiled. “It’s not very family friendly, and you can’t hang clothes out on a washing line.”

He reached down and squeezed her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re ready to leave? We can stay longer if you like,” he said.

Liv shook her head. “No, let’s go and drop off this award, and then I’d like to go home.” She put on her boots and tied the laces. She locked the front door.

Inside the lift, she and Jake stood together, watching the city growing closer and bigger as they dropped down toward it.

“Johnny phoned home this morning,” Jake said, as they stepped out into the lobby. “He grumbled about having to do his own washing up and laundry and buying his own loo rolls. I think he’s learning to appreciate everything we did for him. He mentioned inviting a new friend around for a coffee over Christmas. Perhaps we could make lasagna and chocolate cake, together.”

She squeezed his hand. “Sounds lovely, but I’m just as happy with beans on toast.”

They walked toward the exit doors and Liv caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Her shark blood senses kicked in and she glanced back over her shoulder. “I’ll just be two minutes,” she said, handing the box to him.

She darted back toward Buddha and whispered a quick farewell. Taking a tissue from her pocket, she pinched up a few stray pine needles that had fallen off the Christmas tree onto the floor. “One quick last cleanup,” she told Jake, when she rejoined him.

“Will you miss doing that?” he said.

“Probably, but I have an idea...for a new story.”

They left the building and Liv grinned as snowflakes settled on her eyelashes and the tip of her nose. Taking the box off Jake, she tucked it under her arm.

As they strolled toward the museum, they held hands and chatted about their plans for Christmas Day. And when Liv looked up at the sky it shone pure white, like a blank page of paper waiting to be written upon.

Acknowledgments