‘A relief, I’m sure, but I can’t imagine it’s something you want to be doing every time,’ Faith replied.

Justine finished filling the kettle and set it to boil. ‘It’s no biggie. We all know Tara has her hands full at the moment,’ she said as she rinsed out the flasks. She had yet to take a pause and the point Faith was attempting to make sailed over her head.

Faith was about to try again when a deep voice close to her ear gave her a start.

‘Can I help with anything?’

She turned to find a stranger in their midst with dark brown hair and a sprinkling of grey at his temples. Dimples puckered his cheeks when he smiled, but it was his pale blue eyes that demanded Faith’s attention.

‘You came back then?’ said Justine. She went to shake his hand, but water dripped from her fingers and she grabbed the first thing she could find to dry them on. It was the tote bag with its cheesy quote that Faith hated. ‘Faith, this is Nick, one of our new members. Why don’t you get to know each other and leave me to it?’

‘Are you sure you can manage on your own?’ Faith asked.

Justine almost dropped a flask. ‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘Honestly, go.’

Nick stepped back to allow Faith through the door and placed his hand close to but not touching the small of her back as they returned to the foyer. ‘Have you been involved with the group long?’ he asked.

‘About three years.’

They paused at a coat stand and Faith watched him slip out of his heavy woollen coat to reveal a dark grey suit that looked hand-stitched. ‘And how was your initiation into our little enclave?’ she asked.

‘Just what I needed,’ Nick confessed. ‘For the first time, I feel like I can grieve properly.’ He paused, momentarily distracted as he looked over Faith’s shoulder. ‘Ah, great. April’s made it back too. Let’s go over and I’ll introduce you.’

‘Not necessary,’ Faith said, and as they went to greet April, it was Faith who placed her hand on Nick’s back to guide him.

April appeared even more vulnerable than when they had first met, if that were at all possible. Her cheeks were hollow and her padded jacket made her look top heavy in comparison to her spindly legs wrapped in black Lycra. Faith didn’t normally warm to people who looked ready to break rather than bend in a storm, but there was something about April that resonated.