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Ah, damn. But he couldn’t back off now. “Sure.” He slid onto the chair opposite her and angled the book so he could see it. The first photo that leapt up at him had him blinking hard.

A photo of him and Colin, arms round each other, him with a rare smile on his face. Rare because everything about his life at that point had sucked, but there had been one person who could still make him laugh.

“Best Bromance,” he read out the heading above the photo. And smiled despite the ache in his chest. “I don’t know why we clicked, it seems bizarre looking back on it. The kid who was top of the class, had a brain for numbers like you wouldn’t believe, and the kid who always got stuck on them.” Who’d scraped through, partly because his mum had been his focus, not his education. Partly because school had bored him. It was why he’d headed straight for an apprenticeship at Outward Bound after he’d finished. No college for him. Instead the freedom of the outdoors.

“Did he do your homework for you?” She laughed. “I used to get him to do mine. He’d start off saying no, all firm and big brotherly. But then I’d give him what he called my raccoon eyes, and he’d roll over. He was such a softie.”

Luke gave a shake of his head. “He wasn’t, actually. I’ve seen him fight. He could be tough when he had to be.” He waited until she caught his eye. “But he’d have done anything for his kid sister because she was the most important person in the world to him.”

“God Luke.” She sniffed and wiped a hand across her face. “Now you’re making me cry again.” She inhaled a breath, then another. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question. Did he do your homework, too?”

He smiled, feeling a burst of warmth fill his chest at the memory. “Yeah. All the time. Didn’t even have to do the raccoon eyes.”

December 7th

Anna pressed on the doorbell to Colin’s neighbor, her neighbor now, and checked the watch on her wrist. It was Colin’s Rolex, a treat to himself the day he’d sold his company. Like everything of Colin’s that she’d chosen to keep yesterday, the watch hung loosely, but she didn’t care. Maybe one day she’d get the strap re-sized but for today, she felt her brother was with her.

“Did you hear the bell?” She asked the silent man by her side when there was no reply. “Did it work?”

Luke gave his giant shoulders a big old shrug.

Great. She had her uncommunicative roommate back. He’d been like that ever since she’d told him what today’s advent window had read. Have a drink with Pearl next door.

With a sigh she pressed the doorbell again.

She guessed today’s activity was Colin’s way of looking after the old lady now that he wasn’t there. And making sure Anna didn’t feel alone in what was now her condo, as he’d made her the sole beneficiary of his estate.

God, she was going to rattle in it. But as she couldn’t bear the thought of selling something Colin had been so thrilled to buy, she’d have to learn to live in a place with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living areas and a kitchen bigger than her whole studio.

Beside her, Luke shifted on his feet. “She agreed five, yes?”

“I said we could make any time when I phoned her this morning. She said five.”

“Okay.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “How old did you say she was again?”

“I think Colin said she turned eighty last year.” She turned to him. “Why?”

“No reason.”

“Worried she didn’t hear the bell?” When he didn’t look at her, she frowned. “If you’re worried she’ll make a move on you, you don’t have to. I’m here to protect you.”

“Very funny.”

Another shift of his feet. A heavy exhale.

“Wait, are you nervous?”

He grunted. “Of course not.”

She had no time to interrogate him further—he was definitely nervous—because the door finally opened.

The woman in front of them looked just as Anna remembered her. Tiny, with silver hair in a short pixie cut, framing a face that defied age. She was dressed like she was going out to a party, not for what Anna guessed was her daily walk to the newsstand down the street; wide legged pink trousers, flowing pink and turquoise silk shirt. Chunky silver necklace that looked amazing against her ebony skin.

Anna couldn’t say she knew her, had only spoken to her a few times when they’d bumped into each other while she’d been visiting Colin, but her brother had a real soft spot for her.

“Anna, right on time.” Pearl smiled. “I hope you haven’t been out here long, honey. The bell keeps sticking.”

“Not long, no.”