Jesse’s feet were burning, her bandages shredded beyond any measure of protection as she reached the railway station. The platform was exactly what would be expected in a minor town; small, well-maintained and almost deserted. The ticket office stood near the entrance to the stone platform where there was a cosy sit-in cafe, and benches grouped beneath the small shelter that were currently virtually empty. It was almost the same as she remembered when last she saw it over fourteen years ago.
Sometimes, after school, Alec would bring her to this café and they would sit at their table, the first table by the door, the only place where the decorative windows didn’t obscure the view of the outside world. A young couple was currently sitting there talking, their forms distorted by the steamed
