22. Kate

How could I be the kind of friend to begrudge Roxie’s joy? Only someone with nothing can understand the unfillable gap in an orphaned soul.

The one where all you learn about is a closeness, a happiness that you can never have for yourself. Every alphabet book, every play, every pretend world contained parents, aunts, uncles and happy gatherings.

To learn that Roxie had a family out there, even though one branch had died, there might be more out there to discover was amazing. It almost made the fact I am nearly broke bearable. This was Roxie’s day. She practically skipped all the way back to the main Compound, her wedges dancing over the cobbles with no effort.

“What were you so afraid of before?” I asked, “you seemed to think you were in trouble?”

“Did I?” she asked, swinging her arms giddily and smiling.

“You looked just like when you get caught taking food from the kitchen that time, remember when Mrs Rogging shouted and you froze with your hand in the fruit bowl?”

“You were