‘I’ve brought biscuits,’ Grace said, holding up a packet of digestives. They were proper McVitie’s ones, not the supermarket own brand that Melissa usually bought. Grace handed them to her. A well-intended peace offering.

Melissa took them. ‘Thanks,’ she said.

Grace looked so sad, Melissa thought. All the sparkle that had radiated from her the last time she’d visited seemed to have eked away, and Melissa could feel sympathy for her welling up. Whatever Charles had done was in the past and couldn’t be changed, but Grace looked broken and in need of her friendship right now.

Melissa turned back towards where she knew her neighbour was watching and glared at the curtains. A shadowy shape moved away from the window.

‘Shall I stick the kettle on?’ she asked, and Grace smiled with such gratitude that Melissa thought she might actually cry. ‘You’d better come in, pet,’ she added recklessly, flicking the compost from her hands and standing up. ‘We can make a dint in these biscuits and you can tell me how life’s been treating you.’

Melissa led Grace inside and into the lounge whilst she went to make the tea. Her heart was beating a little faster than normal as she thought about the risk she was taking, but she was more excited by her daring than scared. She was sure there was a story to be told. Why else would Grace show up now, looking so woebegone? Well, she’d never find out if she kept skulking around in the kitchen. Melissa picked up the mugs of tea and headed into the lounge.

‘Here we are,’ she said in a voice that sounded overly cheerful, even to her. She put the tea down on the table, sat in a chair opposite Grace and tore open the digestives. ‘So,’ she said, biting into a biscuit. ‘How’ve you been?’

‘Well, thank you,’ said Grace. ‘And you?’

‘Grand,’ said Melissa. ‘I don’t know where the time’s gone. Leah’s gone up to the high school now. She’s getting on great. Far better than I did there, anyway. She’s a bright kid and she’s dead determined. Not sure where she gets that from, like.’ Melissa felt her cheeks grow pink with shame at her lack of education in front of Grace, who had clearly made a better stab at school than she had. ‘Not me, that’s for sure. I’m happy going with the flow. But Leah? I reckon she’s going to make something of herself.’

It was nice to have someone to talk to about Leah. None of her own friends rated school that highly, so being keen wasn’t seen as anything to be particularly proud of.

‘How’s your little girl?’ Melissa scrabbled about for her name, but nothing came. It was something weird; that was all she could remember.

‘Clio?’ replied Grace. ‘She’s doing well, thank you. She misses her brother . . .’