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“I was wondering if we still had Gran’s puzzles, and it looks like we do, along with everything else. I thought you cleared her things. There are suitcases of clothes here, and who knows what else.” She met his eyes. “Did you keep it all?”

He was silent for a moment and then climbed the last steps.

“I didn’t know what to do with it all,” he said quietly, perching himself on a sturdy-looking wooden crate, “so I put it up here. Every time I tried to sort through it, throw anything away... it felt wrong. Like I was...” He trailed off with a sigh.

Lucie sat on another crate beside him.

“I didn’t know how to let go of any of it,” he said, his voice low. “I told myself I’d deal with it later. And then I kept putting it off.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” she said gently, a sting catching in her throat for making a thing of it. She checked her watch. She needed to leave. “I’m sorry. I have to go, or I’ll be late for Rose.”

He nodded. “You go and do what you do best. Helping others.”

His tone was so flat she couldn’t make out if he was complimenting her or making a point.

She squeezed his shoulder as she stood, blinking back the tears that were burning her eyes. “Is it okay if I take these puzzles for Rose?”

“Of course. I hope she can make good use of them.”

“I’m sure she will. They really helped Gran,” Lucie said, picking up the box and stepping onto the ladder. She looked over at him. “This all needs dealing with, Dad. If you think it might be time.”

He shifted on the crate, clasped his hands, and surveyed the room. With another sigh, he said, “It is.”

“I can help,” she offered. “Or do it for you, if you can’t face it. I’m sure Mandy would help too.”

“It’s my job,” he said firmly, but after a pause, he added, “Although... some help would be good.”

“We could go through some of it on my next day off?”

“Yeah. We’ll see. You get off. I’ll close this up.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Back in her bedroom, she slipped the top puzzle into her rucksack and squeezed her lunchbox alongside. She would have counted the pieces to make sure they were all there, but with time ticking, she’d have to trust that it wouldn’t disappoint Rose. She headed downstairs to the pub, where she spotted Mandy pulling a pint at the bar.

“Did you know that Dad didn’t clear out Gran’s things after she died? He just put everything in the attic?”

Mandy chewed her lip. “I suspected that might be the case.”

“There are suitcases of clothes and all sorts of things up there. We’ll have to help him with it,” Lucie said, waiting for a response as Mandy handed a customer his change.

“We will, if that’s what he wants,” Mandy replied, turning to her.

“It’s been thirteen years, Mands. Don’t you think it’s time?”

“People deal with grief differently. You know that. It’s why your gran moved here in the first place. She told me that after your mum died, all your dad could do was pull a pint. He stuck to what he knew, and it got him through.”

“Did it?” Lucie pressed. “Or is he still wading through it?”

Mandy let out a sigh, loud enough for Lucie to hear and take it as agreement.

“I’ve got to go, but I’m worried about him. Even after ten years away, I can see he seems stuck somewhere.”

Mandy nodded. “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I’ve been too close to notice.”

Lucie didn’t argue.

“Now go,” Mandy said with a soft smile, concern clearly beneath it. “You don’t want to be late for Rose.”