He sat on the edge of the bed and listened to the silence. Felt the dark room around him and smiled. The only light from the street outside as he listened to the wheeze in his lungs. He breathed in and counted, one, two, three and coughed. Ah fuck’s sake. Again. This time he made it before the breath escaped.

There was movement on the bed but when he looked over his shoulder she was just sleeping. He stood from the bed and walked slowly to the window. The street was empty, he noticed a fox moving between the bins and past the for sale sign by the steps. The little patch of garden where he had proposed to Emma. Where the kids had played football. He felt the rough skin of his face. Tomorrow he would go to the solicitors and tell them to take that for sale sign down.