Still no news from the museum. I doubt if the people who make the decisions are even there today. Anyone on duty will probably be tending to one of the five visitors who are pottering about, admiring the ceramics. I know what it’s like in there. The staff are lovely, all over you, pointing out things, telling you the history of a bejewelled corset or a set of tiny dolls’ combs, carved from bone; it’s all well intended, although sometimes you just want to browse uninterrupted. Reminding myself that there’s no point in constantly checking for messages, I do some more research on vintage shops to add to my list and, thrillingly, spot a couple of Girl Friday pieces on eBay – a banana-coloured blouse and a tangerine tank top – which I bid for.

Andy arrives to take Izzy out, still looking rather out of sorts. I will not ask him why he chose a flat above a cheese shop. I will not.

And I will not pester Isla about the proposal. I will not.

Sunday, September 15

It’s a cool, bright, cloudless afternoon, and as Izzy is restless, I suggest picking up Maeve and heading over to the park. As we cross the wide expanse of grass, en route to the swings, I notice the two of them pointing at something. Izzy swings round to face me. ‘Mum, look!’

‘What is it?’ I can’t see anything out of the ordinary.

‘It’s Bobby! But he’s not with Penny.’

I’m about to say it can’t be Bobby then; as far as I’ve gathered we are pretty much the only people who are permitted to walk him. ‘It’s a man,’ Izzy announces. ‘Why’s Bobby with him? Who is he?’

I follow her gaze and spot Nick in the distance. I wave, and he waves back. ‘That’s Penny’s son, Nick,’ I explain, surprised by how happy I am to see him again. We make our way over, and I introduce the girls.

‘Nick lives in New Zealand,’ I explain, ‘but he’s working here at the moment and spending some time with his mum.’

Izzy looks up at him with interest. ‘Penny’s your mum?’

‘That’s right,’ he smiles.

‘How far away’s New Zealand?’ Maeve asks.

‘About 11,000 miles,’ Nick replies.

‘You live that far from your mum?’ Izzy exclaims.

‘I do, yeah, unfortunately.’ Nick smiles.

She looks astounded. ‘Why?’

He chuckles and catches my eye. ‘It’s just the way things turned out. But it’s great to be back here for a couple of months. I was hoping a job would come up, and it did.’

‘Nick makes documentaries,’ I explain.

‘About penguins and stuff?’ Izzy asks hopefully.

He smiles. ‘Not yet, but you never know what might come up in the future. The one I’ve just been working on is about steam trains.’

‘Aw,’ Maeve says, looking unimpressed.