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Alice nodded. “Yeah, we should. So…” She trailed off and scratched her nose.

“I thought you might be happier than that,” observed Ava.

“I am,” said Alice. “It’s just… well, I wondered if that meant that you’re staying here.”

Ava frowned. “Staying? Alice, I’ve bought a house. We all live together. What did you think was going to happen? Did you think I was going to leave?”

“Dunno,” Alice said, looking at the grass. “Maybe. You were going to before and then you didn’t. But then Dad and Amelia are married and you and mum aren’t. And then I was thinking that maybe it might be easier if you didn’t have to think about me as well. After all, you have children at school all day. And I know Amelia wants to have a baby and she can’t and that they’re going to maybe adopt one but it’s hard and there’s no guarantees and—”

“Stop,” Ava said sharply.

Alice took a deep shuddering breath and stopped speaking.

“Alice Perkins, that’s about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. How could you think that it would be easier without you? We’re…” Ava almost stuttered, not quite believing that she was saying the words, but knowing they were the truth and she had to say them. “We’re family. It’s that simple. I’m going nowhere.”

“You’re not?” Alice asked, finally looking at her.

“I’ll stay here as long as you and mum want me,” Ava said, stomach tightening into a knot as she said it, aware that she’d been putting all of this off for far too long. “You’re free to go and live with your dad if you want to, but don’t do it on my account. My life would be smaller and sadder without you in it every day.”

Alice was smiling now. “You mean it?”

“I mean it,” Ava said, putting an arm around Alice’s shoulder. “And how about this afternoon you and I take a bike ride over to your dad’s? I think we can find a route that’s safe enough that you can go by yourself if you want to. That way you could bike to your dad’s over the holidays whenever you fancied it.”

Alice’s smile widened. “Yes!”

???

The pounding next door was vibrating through Hope’s bones. She had no idea how Ag was sleeping through it, but the toddler was safely wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, pull-ups on and thumb in mouth.

“Coffee?” Caz said poking her head around the door.

Hope got up and followed her mother into the kitchen. “It’ll have dust in it,” she said.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” said Caz turning the kettle on. “And you and I have unfinished business.”

“Do we?” Hope pulled two mugs from the collection on the kitchen table.

“I told you this morning that I wanted to talk to you, and I do. So sit down and let’s have this out.”

Hope’s hands trembled a little. Her mother sounded serious. Too serious. She forgot sometimes that Caz was over sixty now, that she wasn’t as young as she used to be. “What is it?” she asked, wanting to get this over with.

“It’s about Joe,” said Caz, sitting down as she waited for the kettle to boil.

“Joe?” asked Hope, confused and relieved that it wasn’t something more serious.

“I’d like him to move in.” Caz was looking at her hands, cheeks flushed pink.

“You want your boyfriend to move in?” Hope said and then realized that she wasn’t talking to Alice, she was talking to her mother and that Caz had every right to have someone move into her own home. “I mean, I’m happy for you.”

“It’s a complication,” Caz said. “I understand. But we’re getting more space now, and it seems practical and… Well, to be truthful, I want it. I want to live with someone again, I’d like to have a life of my own. You’ve got Ava and, well, I think it’s time, don’t you?”

“I think it’s past time,” Hope said, the idea growing on her.

“You don’t mind then?”

Hope took a breath. “I think it’s wonderful, mum. He’s a nice man, I like him. We’ll have to run it past Ava, but she adores Joe. I hope you’re going to be really happy.”

“Thanks, love,” Caz said. She stood up, dropped a kiss on Hope’s head and went back to making coffee.