This has been the worst day and night of my life since my Mum died, I think. Walking from the kitchen and realizing Violet had walked out of the house, my heart fell through the fucking floor. I knew instinctively she had gone to try to help Hattie. The way she had been blaming herself, the way she had been talking. It was the only thing she could be doing. Why else sneak out?

The thing was Lachlan and I had been chatting in the kitchen for a little while as he made the coffee. So I wasn’t sure how long she had been gone. And when we put out...