Chapter Forty-Nine

Seven years earlier, on the morning of his planned dinner with his daughter Blaise, Stuart wakes to Jessamine thrashing and claiming she is gravely ill. He assesses no clear symptoms and offers hospital help, which Jessamine refuses, demanding he stay. Stuart anticipates a confrontation but prepares Daisy for school.

In the kitchen, Daisy bluntly identifies Jessamine’s timing as manipulative and advises Stuart to leave immediately, silence his phone, and avoid being drawn back. Torn but desperate to see Blaise, Stuart agrees to walk Daisy to the station, returns briefly to drop off the dog, and leaves a note for Jessamine stating he is out for the day.

Stuart spends the day reclaiming a sense of his former self: visiting his old squat to see Drew and Drew’s girlfriend, reflecting on lost freedom, and wandering through London toward King’s Cross. He searches for a gift for Blaise and buys a steel ring set with a black crystal rose.

When Stuart finally checks his phone, he finds dozens of missed calls, texts, and voicemails from Jessamine. Feeling panic rise, he consciously rejects her attempt to control him. He resolves to protect this day with Blaise as a rare, luminous memory and pointedly ignores further contact from Jessamine.