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He was obviously paying attention.

“I usually see them every day, morning and night, and have them down here all weekend. My son has always lived with me, and then Gray did too. Even now, when they’re away, I speak to them on the phone, so I still see them. I’ve never been keen on photos, but I have some on my phone, I think. Here.”

He flinched, but I held up a picture of Jay and Jasmine grinning into the camera. He looked away.

“I know it’s painful, and I know how it feels. I don’t mean to make you upset, but you did ask.”

“Feels too personal.” He shuddered slightly. “You don’t have to feed me,” he tried, once again changing the subject.

“And you don’t have to be here. If you want your own company, you can just go back to your place. I know socialising is not always the answer, but you are alwayswelcome here. Just turn up. Knock on the patio doors. Make yourself at home. Grab a cup of tea.”

“You mentioned…” He looked uncertain, like he wasn’t sure of me at all, which was fair enough. We didn’t know each other, and I’d more than invaded his privacy, demanding to clean his home and getting right in his face. Forcing him to shower and put on some clothes.

Not my place. Not my tasks to complete. But I was a stubborn old man who was bored and lonely. I had a feeling he was too.

“I think we can help each other,” I said in a voice I hoped was friendly and inviting. I had been known to be stern and brusque at times. Came with the job.

The previous job. The one I no longer had.

“You said you worked at a hotel?”

“I did. Head doorman at The Clouds Westminster.”

“Nice.” He didn’t look impressed.

“It was a good career. I enjoyed every day there. I dealt with people from every path of life, from the homeless, the petty criminals, the people on the game, gangs of every sort to the ultra-rich and famous. Thespectrum of humans who passed through those doors was broad and varied.”

“I can imagine. You must have seen some things.”

“So must you, having worked in law.”

“Building law is not that exciting. It’s mostly wordings and fine print, balancing the laws of planning versus the client wanting to get as much profit as possible out of their projects. At the end of the day, it’s all about money.”

“Of course it is. It’s why we work.”

“And when we don’t, it’s…difficult.”

“You feel like you lose all purpose. Like you’re not even a functioning human anymore.”

“I don’t know if working would make me feel human again. I think I’ve forgotten how to be anyone of any substance.”

“Don’t say that,” I said cheerily. “Now, let’s eat, and then I promise you, you’ll feel better about a lot of things.”

He huffed. “That’s a big promise to make.”

Perhaps it was.

6. Dylan

Did I feel better after filling my stomach with a stew that was both warming and tasty? Well, it had filled some sort of need. I felt stuffed, having downed my first full meal in a while. I ate to dull the hunger pains, not for any kind of pleasure, and I wasn’t used to eating in front of strangers, struggling to move the fork into my mouth without spilling gravy all over myself.

Stewart had laughed and offered me a spoon. Perhaps a piece of bread to mop up the sauce?

I wasn’t amused, but I’d ended up smiling anyway. I didn’t fully understand why, but it had been a nice change of pace. A break in the weird routine I’d found myself in.

And I had managed to make polite, albeit awkward small talk and thanked him for his hospitality before excusing myself and retiring to my now strange-looking basement.

I closed the door behind me and stood there in mild shock, having completely forgotten about the day’s activities. The room smelled clean and fresh; the bed was neatly made. It was like I’d wandered into the wrong house.