‘God, yes.’ Jameela sounds emphatic. ‘Been there. It’s like trying to revive someone who’s come in DoA.’

‘Nice image.’

‘Sorry. I swear my entire life is nursing-focused since I started this course.’ Jameela yawns so widely that the last words are smothered with her hand.

‘All right?’

That evening I almost jump out of my skin as I walk into the sitting room after my shift and hear a voice from the dark. ‘Rob,’ I say, once I’ve got my bearings. ‘God, I forget you’re here half the time.’

‘Cheers,’ says Rob, sardonically. He lifts his legs off the coffee table so I can head over to the battered beige armchair beside the television. ‘What’s up? You look like you’ve had a shit day.’

‘Just, y’know, life stuff.’

‘Anything I can help with?’ Rob leans forward. He turns the volume down on the television and inclines his head towards the door, and the rest of the house. ‘Woman trouble?’

Does everyone know what went on with me and Emma?

‘I dunno,’ I say, picking up a cushion and hugging it. ‘I was talking about Alice today at work and I got out of a surgery observation – open heart, ironically – and there was a message from her. I guess she’s at a bit of a crossroads – she was seeing someone for a bit and it didn’t work out.’

‘Ah.’ Rob nods briefly. ‘That’s a tricky one. You dinnae want to be the fallback guy.’

‘Alice wants more than I’ve got. Not in a bad way – I mean I don’t think she was only after my money when we met, but she thought she was marrying into a lifestyle. She wants kids, a nice house in the suburbs, all that sort of thing.’

‘And you don’t?’

Unbidden, an image of Jess pops into my head, laughing at something as we’re walking along the canal path at Little Venice. I need to get a grip.

‘I wouldn’t say I don’t, but I’m never going to be able to give Alice what she wanted, and – she’s a nice girl, and all, but—’

‘She’s no’ the one?’

‘Exactly.’

Rob looks thoughtful. ‘Well, you don’t want to settle. I tried that, and here I am at forty-four, living in a basement with you lot.’

‘What happened?’ I ask.

‘Oh, I liked her a lot; she was a nice lassie. We moved down here when I got the job as a commis chef at my first restaurant, and when things started falling apart we tried to fix it by getting married.’

‘And it didn’t work out?’

He shakes his head. ‘Nah. She headed back to Glasgow, and I signed over the wee flat we had up there to her. Felt like I owed her that much.’

‘So that’s how you ended up here?’