"How's your sister doing?" Hannah asked. She'd finished chopping the onions, much to her relief, and now they were sitting in the sitting-room, watching T.V. with the sound turned down low during the ads while dinner cooked. It was just a simple beef stew and pretty much took care of itself: "Chop everything up, cook it in a pot with some stock and let it cook"' Sacha had said to Hannah by way of explanation. Then: "Let it cook slowly", and she'd leaned across Hannah to turn the heat way down.

"I think she's doing okay" Sacha said, in answer to Hannah's question. "Most of the time when I talk to her she wants to talk about me, for some reason."

"That's sweet" Hannah said.

"I guess so."

Hannah shifted in her seat, tucking her legs up under her to protect them from the cold. "She should come visit us again some time" she said. "Hang out, it'd be fun."

"Yeah I guess so" Sacha said again.

"Tell her! Next time you talk to her, tell her we all miss her."

"You hardly know her!" Sacha pointed out. "How can you miss her?"

"You can miss people" Hannah insisted.

"Well I'll tell her. She says to say hi to you all the time anyway. I think she's dropping hints that she wants to come down here again."

"She said to say hi?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"All the time."

"You didn't tell me!" Hannah said, sounding hurt.

Sacha blinked and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Sorry" she said. "I didn't think it was important. I thought it was just something people say."

"Who else has said to say hi to me?" Hannah asked.

"No-one" Sacha promised. "Just Kate."

"Well - tell her hi from me back next time you talk to her."

"Okay, if you want me to."