"Oh!" Kate quickly let go. "Oh, I'm sorry." She crouched down instead, to help him pick up the books.

Aye, when did she become so big? During all those years when he hadn't been there and she had turned from a child to a young lady - or so she liked to think of herself now - able to bring in a little bit of money with her teaching. She had been a different person when he had left, and he looked like he was a different person now from the big brother she had missed so dearly all these years. Her eyes darted in his direction while she reached for her books and she observed him shyly. For some reason, she had imagined him to still look exactly the same. To carry himself the same way. He didn't. It felt odd. She was delighted that he was back at last, but it felt odd.

She rose and started walking in the direction of Oswy street. "Are ye 'ere to stay?" she said, holding her books with one arm and linking the other with her brother's, trying hard to pretend it was just yesterday he had left. "Please tell me ye are! It's been so horrible with all of ye runnin' off."