Zoe pulled over outside Lucy's house, Martin was completely shaken by the new dereliction of his old house. There were silver flimsy gates around the edges of it as if guarding the massive amounts of rubble which remained.
Zoe knew better than to say anything, but Martin shook himself out of this nauseating trance and climbed out of the van to give his farewell to Lucy.
She hugged him hard as he told her, "don't let anyone hurt you, okay? No matter how close they are to you. You're so much better than them."
Lucy smiled back at him, "Same to you."
She walked to her door, before she even had the time to knock, the door had opened and her father faced her before gradually they broke into a meaningful embrace of reconciliation, the first they had seen of each other since her mother had died.

Martin turned around and looked across the road to his own house. The psychosomatic nausea seemed to return immediately as he slowly took a few steps forwards and stood transfixed in the middle of the quiet street, absolutely shaken.
Zoe walked up behind him and pressed her hand onto the centre of his back.
"It's real now, Zoe." He said, not trying to dismiss it any longer. "It's really.. real."
He walked towards the gates that surrounded the perimeter of where his house used to be and shifted them so that he could squeeze through.
The ground was unsteady, pieces of broken red and grey bricks were scattered across the site with sliced slates and segments of shattered glass.
Zoe watched from afar as Martin looked around at everything, seeing broken chairs and tables, everything he recognised, from the shreds of seagrass carpet to the peculiar patterns of the curtains and the odd shattered photograph which was barely recognisable.
He found Martha's bed quilt. The soft lilac duvet cover which was now covered in dust and debris. Martin sat down onto a heap of rubble and lifted up her duvet, bringing it against his face and smelling it. He was brought right back to her, it smelt of the warm fiery ashes with a mix of talcum power and a sweet scent of strawberries. He tried to savour each breath which he soaked up her scent. Closing his eyes as to focus on his sense of smell. He was right back in bed beside her, telling her stories, one arm wrapped around her neck and the other holding a book with colourful paintings of dolphins and pink sunsets with silhouettes of seagulls in the distance.
Martin felt himself break as he was transported back into reality.
I'm happy he told himself, or, almost forced himself.
He stood up, still clutching the duvet. He contemplated taking it with him, as not to waste the remainder of Martha's scent. He knew that the next time it rained the faint aroma would be gone, the precious little left of his daughter would vanish.
"Come back..." he breathed so quietly that it was barely audible to himself. "Come back, Martha... I need you. I've tried to cheat myself into believing that I would be fine without you, but I'm not. Martha... I miss you, Martha."
Martin brought the duvet to his face and let his tears slide into the cotton stitches.
Zoe watched him cry before it became hard for her to bear. She finally made her way between the railings and watched as he stood up and let go of the lilac blanket, wiping his eyes before he turned around and faced her.
"Sorry." He sighed, trying to break a laugh.
Zoe shook her head lovingly as they were pulled towards each other into an embrace, "don't be."
She kissed his cheek which was wet and hot from his tears and held him closer as she felt his breathing begin to slow.
"Let me take you somewhere." He told her, still keeping her close, cheek to cheek.
"Where?" Asked Zoë, rubbing his back, wanting to see his face.
"You'll see." He said, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes before exhaling deeply and stepping away from her.
He sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve before turning to the rather sad-looking old BMW that was parked outside the house. "I wonder if the car will still start."
Martin still kept a loose grip on Zoe's arm as he walked back between the metal gates to the back of his initially-blue car that was now covered in dust from the demolishment of the house. Martin kneeled down and stuck his fingers inside the exhaust before pulling out a set of keys.
"what the heck?!" Gasped Zoe,
"Safe place to leave 'em, right?" Laughed Martin, dusting off his hands.
"Eh, no?!" She Replied, "why'd you leave them there?"
"Oh, just in case someone wanted to steal my car, save them the bother of trip wiring it." He joked as he opened up the driver's door and put the keys in the ignition. Within one turn of the key the engine rattled slightly, then worked perfectly.
"Well what do you know?!" He laughed, patting the steering wheel, "good as new."
Zoe couldn't help but feel that his happiness was fake. But smiled all the same in response. From the moment he saw Martha's blanket again he had changed forever, and Zoe could see that.

"Umm do you wanna follow me in the van?" Offered Martin as Zoe walked around to see him, he continued to refuse to let her see his face completely, in this relationship that eye-contact had been so pivotal.
"Are you okay?" Asked Zoë, disregarding his question.
Martin stopped faffing around in the glovebox immediately and sat completely still.
"C-can we talk when we get there?" He asked her, still looking slightly below the dashboard.
"How long will it take?" She asked him, placing one hand on his shoulder.
"About ten minutes." He responded, still feeling so distracted.
"Okay. Drive slowly." She replied, reaching over and kissing his cheek as to remind him that she cared, and didnt want to intimidate him.