I laughed. ‘Repentance!’ I squealed, and while we were laughing, I just started thinking about Dad, about how he knew her and I knew her but never at the same time. She could have been a uniting force but instead she was only a last desperate fibre from which the old world hung. I wanted to introduce her to him as I knew her, not as he did. What did he think of her? I was sure he loved her just as much as I did. I was sure he knew more about her than I did. I wanted more than anything to talk to him about her, everything, all this …

Tears prickled at the backs of my eyes and June, ever the empath, noticed and wrapped an arm round me. ‘Hey, hey. What’s up?’ she asked. So embarrassing, crying in front of her. It never really got less embarrassing. But then she started crying too, just a little. ‘Are you – is it – out of my field of capabilities?’

I nodded, and she pulled me in.

‘Oh, Whitaker. Look at us. What a pair!’ She glanced towards the window. It was pitch-black outside now and it occurred to me that I had no idea what time it was. ‘Come on,’ June said. ‘I think we both need some fresh air.’ With a grunt of exertion, she lifted the window and manoeuvred a leg through.

‘Whoa. What are you doing?’

‘The roof. There’s a spot out here to sit.’ Her other leg disappeared, and then all of her was gone, until she poked her head back in. ‘Bring the blanket. It’s fucking nippy.’

I wasn’t really excited about the prospect of sitting unsecured one storey above the ground, but I had to keep up with her, so I grabbed the blanket and squirmed through the open window like she had, on to the roof, slippery with frost. I sat, but it was precarious at best; the portion we were sitting on was at a fifteen-degree angle, maybe, so it was flat enough to sit on, but not flat enough to ensure an especially strong breeze wouldn’t send me hurtling to my death. Pushing my reservations aside, I handed the blanket to June, and she draped it round both of our shoulders, which delighted me.

‘These parties are only fun for a little bit,’ she said, looking out on to the tops of the trees ahead. ‘And then I just want to lock myself in a closet and curl into a ball. It’s like, I’m only having any fun when I’m too drunk to realize that I shouldn’t be. Sorry for dragging you along. It was kind of selfish. I mostly wanted someone I could tolerate to hang out with.’

‘Oh, glad I’m tolerable.’

‘Not what I meant. You’re more than tolerable. You’re exceptional!’