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“That’s looking lovely, Anna. You must be pleased with it,” I said, feeling a little swell of pride that she’d done so well with it when she was still impaired cognitively.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up. “I am very pleased with it, actually. And I’m pleased that I get time to work on my hobbies, now that I’m no longer with James.”

I sat, trying to fathom her meaning. “Your son James?”

She shook her head. “No, not James Junior. James Senior. My husband. Or ex-husband, anyway,” she muttered.

“You couldn’t do your hobbies when you were with your husband?” I asked, frowning.

She shook her head. “He was not a very nice man. But I only worked that out after we had been married for a while. He wouldn’t let me see my friends or family. And I wasn’t allowed to go out anywhere. Then it got to the point that I wasn’t even allowed to do what I wanted in the house, even once the chores were all done.”

“Things like cross-​stitch,” I said, putting two and two together.

“That’s right.” She pointed her needle at me. “You listen to me, Nisa. Never marry a man who doesn’t want you to be yourself.”

I puffed out my cheeks, now painfully aware of just how spot-on that advice was. “Wish you’d been around to tell me that when I married my ex-husband.”

“Well, I’m glad he’s no longer your husband,” Anna said, continuing her stitching. “Good for you.”

“So, did you get divorced?” I said, watching her work.

She started to nod, then paused. “Now, I can’t quite remember. But we must have done, because he’s not here anymore.” She had that troubled look on her face again, the one she wore when she was distressed by not being able to remember. The one I always took as a cue not to push any further.

“I’m glad he’s not here anymore, anyway,” I said, touching her arm. “You deserve better, my lovely.”

She beamed at me, and I wanted to bundle her up and take her home. “Thank you. And you.”

“Right,” I said, placing my hands on my thighs, then getting up. “No rest for the wicked! See you later.”

“Bye, love.”

*

As I headed out after work, my phone buzzed in my pocket and I lifted it in excitement, hoping to see Kerr’s name on the screen. Bitter disappointment flooded my system when I clocked Drew’s name instead. Something about wanting to come round to check on me after the fire.

Ugh. I shoved the phone back in my pocket, leaving him on read. What an arsehole. He hadn’t contacted me at all after the fire, even though I’d sent him a message shortly after his text about Aileen’s pregnancy. I said congratulations, and I told him there’d been a fire but I was out of hospital, because I was worried he’d hear about it through the grapevine and be concerned for me. All I’d gotten was a Glad you’re ok! and then nothing. Why now, after a couple of weeks, the sudden interest in my well-​being?

I couldn’t help thinking that it was to do with the dressing-​down Kerr had given him. He didn’t like to think that he was no longer the center of my universe and was attempting to place himself as such again. Well, he could piss right off.

I climbed into Millicent and made my way home—​looking forward to seeing Kerr for our nightly debrief, as I called it. We told each other about our days, he did a bit of work in the living room, and then I jumped his bones before he could finish whatever his goal was for the evening, because watching him work made me too hot to resist him. However, this evening the plan was slightly different. We were going over to my parents’ for dinner, along with Aisha and Seb. Mum had insisted they meet Kerr after Aisha had let slip that he had attended the hospital with me to visit her. So our bedroom shenanigans would have to wait until we got home.

I parked Millicent in the driveway and climbed out, ready for a shower.

“Hey, Nisa!” a voice called from the street. It was familiar, and yet not familiar. I turned to peer down the driveway and spotted Ethan, a kid that used to live in the neighborhood up until around two years ago, at which point he’d left for university and his parents had moved away.

“Ethan!” I said, walking down the driveway to greet him. “Long time no see. How are you? How’s uni?”

“Great, thanks.” He smiled, hair tumbling in curls down his forehead in the typical haircut that every Gen Z guy seemed to sport nowadays. “I’m loving it.”

“What are you doing back round these parts? I thought your mum and dad were in Edinburgh?”

“Yeah, they are. I’m staying with a friend. Just in town for this reunion thing we’re having for our sixth-​form class.” He scratched his head. “Well, less of a reunion, more of a big Christmas party,” he added with a grin.

“Sounds great,” I said, even though my ideal evening nowadays was a night in with Izzy and a glass of wine. And Kerr, my heart reminded me, making me smile. Definitely with Kerr. “Oh, I do actually remember someone telling me about that party.” Greg and Lynn had mentioned that their son, Rob, was home for the holidays and there was a sixth-​form buddies get-​together in the cards.

“Nice lights,” he said, nodding toward my house.

“Why, thank you,” I said proudly. And, unable to resist, I added, “And what do you think about the ones across the street? Whose is better?”