Amber is still in the kitchen. I tread the stairs quietly and turn right at the top. I sneak into Amber’s room. I hope Richard hasn’t been in their bed, Nick’s bed. I shudder at the thought. She’s decorated it since Nick left. The walls are no longer the pretty purple tones; now she has one wallpapered – a garish green retro print that seems to be popular again these days – and the other walls are painted grey. I don’t like it; it’s cold. No personality. Much the same as the rest of the house, if I’m being honest. I’ll never understand why Amber felt the need to completely redecorate the entire house the second she moved in. All my lovely floral décor, gone within days – as if she were trying to erase all memory of me. Dreadful shame. It’d taken me so long to get my home just as I liked it after Bern died, too. I try not to dwell now; the anxiety is swelling in my tummy.

I scrutinise the rest of the room, taking note of the framed pictures hanging in a line directly opposite the bed. One of them gives me pause.

It’s mine.

I’m certain it is, despite the frame looking different to the original. But I’d got rid of it. Where did she get it? I suppose it could be a coincidence – she might’ve found an identical print from a charity shop. As I stare at it, though, I know it’s the same one. A lump forms in my throat. I’d put it in one of the old boxes of things I was going to burn. Did I leave it in the shed and forget?

‘Barb? What are you doing?’

‘Goodness, Amber.’ I place my hand on my chest. ‘You gave me a scare.’

‘And?’ she says. She can be quite curt; rude even, at times.

‘I’m sorry, I was … well, just looking around as if I were a prospective buyer. I was doing you a favour – looking at it from their eyes. There’s a reason it’s not selling, dear. And I must say, Amber, this décor may well be putting some people off.’

‘It’s just superficial, Barb. No one will not buy a house because of its wallpaper.’

‘Well, you never know.’ I walk past her, brushing up against her as I manoeuvre past the bed to make my exit. ‘It’s worth thinking about.’

I think I got away with being in her room nosing around.

‘Any other tips from the queen of interior design?’ she asks.

‘No need for sarcasm, dear. I’m only trying to help. Oh, and that picture – the one with the boy holding a kitten – where did you get it?’