He mutters something in Norwegian and I turn to Mum, wanting her to translate. She touches my arm and shakes her head. ‘He’s confused.’

Maybe Mum is right, he doesn’t know what he’s saying. A long minute passes, and then Stig blinks at me and smiles. There is so much warmth in his gaze that my doubt and fear melt away. ‘You’re OK?’

He gives the smallest nod and I hug him, my heart expanding in my chest until there’s no room for anything but love. He still feels so cold though. I hold him tightly, trying to share my warmth with him.

Mum stands and looks at Stig, then back to me. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us?’

I touch his shoulder, ‘Mum, this is Stig.’

Mum takes off her coat. ‘Yes, I’ve gathered this is Stig. I’ll make us all a hot drink, and then you can tell me who Stig is and what’s been happening here, OK?’ Mum shakes her head and mutters, ‘Even poor Gandalf looks worn out.’

‘Gandalf!’

He’s curled up in his bed with his head on his paws. I rush to him and kneel by his side. ‘But I thought …!’ He licks my face and my heart fills with gratitude. I give him the biggest hug, and then pat his head and whisper, ‘Good boy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’

Mum busies herself in the kitchen. She turns on the tap and fills the kettle, then opens a cupboard and sighs. ‘Where’s the coffee gone?’

Stig whispers hoarsely, ‘Top shelf, red tin,’ and I grin at him, wanting to absorb every detail of his face. The way his dimples appear slowly and then all at once when he smiles. The deep crease in his bottom lip that’s so kissable. I touch his feet through the pile of blankets and find a toe to hold. He grins and I smile back so hard my cheeks ache. I can’t wait for us to be alone together. There’s so much I want to say.

Mum grabs my arm and steers me into the kitchen. I brace myself for the talk – the one where she tells me off for running away and freaks out about the goth on the sofa. Instead she takes a shaky breath and murmurs, ‘I should have told you about Mormor.’

I stare at her in surprise, a familiar tightness in my chest. I’m angry that she lied, but she was so brave, charging in and bashing the creature with that branch. I know she would do anything for me. She didn’t tell me about Mormor’s funeral because she knew I would insist on coming here, and she wanted to keep me away from the tree. She was trying to protect me.