April arrived in Hale earlier than she would have done if there had been a group meeting, but she still lost her race with the setting sun. The lighting wasn’t ideal for painting walls a shade that matched the shadows, but she liked the honesty and simplicity of the grey. It had nothing to do with her mood.

‘I could have managed on my own,’ she told Tara, who greeted her at the flat in a pair of paint-splattered overalls and a headscarf tied in a knot at the top of her head.

‘Nonsense,’ Tara said. ‘I want to help, and we need this finished before the new carpets are laid. I have a spare pair of overalls if you need them.’

April had brought some old clothes to change into. The Green Day T-shirt had been one of Jason’s favourites and the gesture was meant to prove to herself how little she cared about him. She hesitated. ‘I suppose overalls would be better.’

While April changed, Tara opened the paint tins and was pouring the darker shade into a tray when April reappeared in the living room. The label had described it as highland mist but when Tara loaded the roller, the white pile turned pewter. ‘Are you sure you want this in here and the bedrooms?’ she asked.

‘Yep,’ April replied, hoping the paint would dry a lighter shade. ‘And the silver dawn is for the kitchen and bathroom.’

‘Fair enough. Do you want to start in one of the other rooms so we’re not bumping into each other? I’ve brought two of everything and we can take turns with the stepladder.’

‘Oh, OK.’

April had assumed there was more to Tara’s offer to stay than practicalities. It was less than a week after Nick’s death and they needed to make sense of it all, but as April gathered up supplies, her friend turned her back on her and set to work.

Relegated to the bedroom next door, April listened to the slurp and swish of the roller gliding over the living room walls as she prepared her own work area. She chose a different approach to Tara and picked up an angled brush to paint a neat outline around the edges of the room before attempting to fill the gaps.

‘I can’t wait to move in,’ April said, striking up a conversation whether Tara wanted it or not.

‘Me neither.’

‘I’ve applied for a couple of jobs on this side of the river.’

‘That’s good.’

April kept her hand steady as she painted a grey stripe that followed the outline of the door frame, crouching down as she neared the skirting board. It took all of her concentration to keep the bristles away from the woodwork but she refused to work in silence. ‘When do you think we’ll be able to resume the group meetings?’

‘When the media lose interest.’