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‘Right,’ he says, indicating each dish in turn, ‘we’ve got aubergine with a bit of chilli; paneer cheese and spinach; butter chicken, for those who don’t like heat; tandoori chicken tikka masala; prawn malai; a beef bhuna; and a red lentil daal.’

‘And pakoras!’ Willow is beaming from ear to ear.

‘Tuck in,’ says Horse, pulling a bottle of wine and a cold beer from a bag he’s brought in with him. He opens the wine for me and Lara.

And Willow does indeed tuck in.

‘Crikey, that’s hot!’ I wave a hand and stick my tongue out, and Willow laughs. I take a glass and quickly fill it with water, making my mouth burn even more as I swallow.

‘Try this one,’ says Willow. ‘It’s really good!’ He holds up the dish to me.

‘Do you mean hot?’ I say, still waving at my tongue.

And Willow laughs some more. I could burst with happiness at seeing him like this.

I reach over and take a small helping of the prawn curry, and Willow adds to my plate with another spoonful.

‘We have so much food here, we’ll be having it again tomorrow!’

And Willow smiles some more. ‘Perfect!’ he beams.

‘We had some good times at Ayesha’s house, didn’t we, Will?’ Horse says with a smile.

Willow nods.

‘She was a great cook. And Will saw her as a grandmother figure of sorts, even though she wasn’t so very old,’ Horse says. ‘You must’ve been about four when you lived with Ayesha. There would always be something cooking, wouldn’t there?’

‘She would cook pakoras and samosas all the time. They were my favourites,’ Willow says. ‘And Shams cooked, too.’

Horse nods. ‘Shams is Ayesha’s son. Everyone pitched in, even if, like me, they couldn’t cook. Just followed instructions!’ He sits back in his chair, smiling at the memory.

‘But we don’t know where Shams is now?’ I ask, glancing between Horse and Lara. Both of them shake their heads.

‘He went travelling after he and Will’s mum split up,’ explains Horse.

‘And of course, Ayesha is in a home at the moment,’ Lara says.

‘I know the place,’ Horse says. ‘It’s a good one. I visited once or twice when she first went in there.’

‘I’d like to visit her,’ says Willow, and we all look at him. He’s eating happily, scooping up rice with his naan bread, a few grains falling to the floor for Tegan to hoover up. I look at Lara.

‘Well, it could be arranged,’ she says thoughtfully. ‘I’ve been there. When we were looking for someone to be your kinship carer. Ayesha’s not well. Her brain is tired and she doesn’t remember things, or people. But she’s happy enough.’

‘I’d be happy to arrange that,’ says Horse.

‘I’d like to see her,’ Willow says again firmly. ‘Just so I can remember what it was like then.’ He dips his bread into the hot sauce and rips off the sauce-covered bread with his teeth, relishing every mouthful.

There’s a short silence.

‘Well, I think we should seize the day,’ I say. ‘Grab your happiness when and where you can!’ I raise my glass, and Horse lifts his beer bottle. Lara and Willow lift their glasses too.

‘To good memories,’ says Horse, putting his arm around Willow, who leans in towards him.

‘To happiness!’ I say. Just for a moment, Horse looks at me and I look at him. Is that what I am – happy? With the new flat, my new beginning? A place of my own . . . It’s just as I planned.

But what if this is what happiness is, right here, right now?

‘To pakoras!’ says Willow, and we laugh. I’ve never seen him this relaxed before. I know one thing for sure, it’s making me happy to see him beam.