‘And then on the weekend we were driving by this little complex of townhouses just down from where we are now. They’re not quite finished, but they were open, and Matt suggested we go and check one out.’

She looked at the stir-fry, remembered it was there, picked up the bowl and ladled a pile of chicken and vegetables onto her rice, her lips pressed tight together.

‘It was so nice, Cait.’ Her voice changed; thoughtful, but something else too. Excited. Cautious. Apologetic. ‘They’ve still got to finish off the landscaping, but the kitchen is beautiful. Six-burner stove, butler’s pantry, this gorgeous butcher’s block island bench … I hate the kitchens in these places usually—they’re always white and sterile and cold—but this one is different. There’s a little balcony off the master bedroom and a courtyard and walk-in wardrobes.’ She smiled. ‘It’s so cute. You’d love it.’

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I would. ‘So when do you move in?’ I joked.

‘We settle in eight weeks. We bought it.’

‘What?’ I exclaimed. ‘That’s amazing, Leen! Congratulations!’

She smiled, her face alight. She didn’t remind me of her mum anymore, just someone who was getting everything she had ever wanted. Happy.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you bought a fucking house!’ I picked up my wine and sat back in my chair.

‘Townhouse,’ she corrected.

‘Still.’ I laughed. ‘It’s a house. You’re a grown-up now. Can I help you paint it?’

She grinned. ‘Of course.’

‘Bright purple?’

‘Funny.’ She sat up, took a deep breath. ‘See, I knew you’d be happy.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Of course. I mean, it’s pretty bougie and you know how I feel about commitment. But why …’ Even as the question formed on my lips, I knew why.

Lina hesitated. ‘Matt’s uncle got us a great deal. Like, amazing.’ She sighed. I wished—again—for a cigarette. ‘And we can afford the repayments—more than afford them, somehow—but to avoid mortgage insurance, we’ve had to put all of our money into the deposit.’

‘Oh.’ And there it was. ‘Right.’

‘Matt’s looked at it all, and once we’re settled and we’ve thrown all our money at it for a year or two we can probably refinance, but until then …’

I felt my chest tighten, my eyes get hot.

‘No road trips for me,’ she finished. ‘I’m so sorry, Cait. I know how long we’ve been talking about this.’

I inhaled. The air caught in my throat but I forced it down, reminded myself where we’d started, why we’d been doing this in the first place. ‘It’s okay,’ I said.

‘Is it?’ She looked uncertain. ‘Are you sure?’