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While their drinks were brewing, he cut doorstep slices frorain bread and toasted therill until it bubbled

‘One latte,’ he said, handing her aof coffee made just the way she liked it, ‘and cheese on toast And we’re going to eat on the sofa’ He smiled at her ‘It’s the best comfort food I know, apart from Eleni’s chicken soup’

‘Thanks That was fabulous,’ she said when she’d finished a little later

‘It was coarden cheese on toast,’ he replied with a wry s special’

‘But I didn’t have to make it Which means it tasted even better’

‘Thank you I think’ He took her plate and e

‘Theo, you don’t have to wait on me’ She followed hi-up It’ll stopthe protest she sensed he was about to make

He shrugged ‘If you insist’

‘I do’

Except when she was drying up one of the ers And as soon as it hit the ceramic-tiled floor, it smashed into tiny shards

‘Oh, no I’m sorry I…’

‘It was an accident, Maddie,’ he said gently, touching her cheek with the backs of his fingers ‘Don’t worry It’s not a problem I’ll sort it out’

Within seconds, it seemed, he had the shards swept up, wrapped in newspaper and deposited in the bin

‘I’m so sorry, Theo’

‘Stop apologising It’s all right’ He took her hands and drew her out of the kitchen, then slid his arms round her ‘We’ve both had one of those days when everything feels out of kilter—and right now I think you could do with a hug’

She could see the bleakness in his eyes; she had a feeling that he was voicing his own needs, too So she slid her arainst his chest and held him close For a ainst the top of her head, letting her co her

Madison had no idea how long they stayed like that, just holding each other and drawing strength froood

Though, at the sa her errors The longer she remained in his arms, the harder it would be to leave them