Audrey woke to the sound of her parents preparing for their journey home, the soft murmurings between them as they moved from bedrooms to bathroom. She wondered how she would deal with the quiet over the next few days, but reminded herself that it would be anything but, once Poppy arrived. A rush of pleasure and energy at the thought of seeing her best friend woke her fully, despite her late night, and she leapt from the bed eager to begin the day.
By the time Max and Audrey arrived downstairs for breakfast, Isabel was already in the kitchen helping Lola. The two women worked convivially, and Audrey thought of what Lola had told her last night and noted that the heaviness in her eyes had been replaced with the more familiar spark.
Rather than there being a sense of goodbye, breakfast was
