"Who wants to belong out here? It's shite. We'd find a better place for you and me. For us. Like you've always wanted." Of course, Joe wouldn't remember. "I wanted to live in a city. Edinburgh or London, any kind of city. But you, you always wanted a cottage out by the sea."

He remembered them playfully arguing over it. "We'd never be lonely there in that cottage, Joe. Because we'd be together, yeah?" He reached out again to put a hand on Joe's shoulder, hoping he'd not want to shrug him off. "We could watch the sunset over the sea. And I could... I could read books to you." Whatever it took. Whatever it took to make him smile again.