Dovey began spending three nights a week at Enid's house.

On Wednesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the routine returned: he would arrive at six, have lunch with Maven, help with the homework, and leave at eight-thirty, when Maven was going to sleep.

At first, he was strange. Enid observed him attentively, monitoring each interaction, ready to intervene if he said or did something that could upset Maven. But, after a while, she began to relax

"Dad, can you help me with math?" Maven asked one Wednesday night, spreading his homework across the kitchen table.

"Sure." Dovey sat next to him, studying the exercise sheet. Addition problems, simple, but challenging for a four-year-old.

Enid continued preparing dinner, pretending not to hear, but Dovey felt her attention on them.

"Right, so, if you have three apples and I give you two more, how many do you have in total?"

"Five!" Maven replied immediately. "Great. And if you eat one?"

"Then I have four left over."

"Excellent. You're very clever