My heart bleeds for the boy. I know what it’s like to lose your mother when you’re young. The utter disbelief, the emptiness, the sadness. Turning to talk to her before realizing she’s no longer there. It happened to me so many times in the first year, sometimes publicly: the day I won Student of the Month at school, I turned to my friends and said my mom was going to be thrilled. Everyone went silent.

‘I can do my own washing and all that stuff. I need to learn how to take care of myself so I can be out of your way as soon as possible.’

The suitcase lands with a thud on the floor when Kenny drops it at his side. The poor kid looks lost.

‘It’s okay, Kenny, you’re welcome for as long as it takes.’ I have to do this, make him feel welcome. He’s not much older than I was when my mother died but at least I got to stay in my home, with Mam’s things surrounding me, keeping her memory alive. If I’d had to leave and stay in some stranger’s house I don’t know how I would have coped. So, for as long as he’s here, I’ll do my best to make sure he feels at home.

‘Thank you, Sally – is that what you want me to call you?’

‘Sally is fine… Do you have a girlfriend, Kenny?’

‘No.’ He shakes his head.

‘Do you know a girl named Charlie?’

He creases his face, trying hard to think. ‘No. Not that I can think of.’

Tom arrives into the room, disturbing us, carrying a large box which he puts in the corner. Saoirse O’Neill places two smaller bags beside it. If Kenny didn’t send that girl into the salon then who did?

‘You have quite a lot of stuff, Kenny,’ Tom says, standing back from the large box and stretching out his back.

‘You should see what he left behind.’ Saoirse chuckles before walking out to the hallway and beckoning me to follow. There seems to be a lightness to her step, a triumphant tone to her voice.

‘This is everything you’ll need.’ She hands me a large brown envelope. ‘I’ll be back next week to check in on Kenny. In the meantime, if you have any questions, just give me a call. The number is in the envelope.’