Oh, youll never believe this story. So, theres this girl, Emily, right? Shes got this massive flat in Londonfour whole rooms. Her uni mate, Sophie, comes over one day, looking around all impressed. «Blimey, Em, youre sitting on a goldmine here,» she says, plopping down on this ancient leather sofa that lets out this awful creak. Emily just wincesthe place is full of old family heirlooms, collected over years.
Sophies there because their class rep, Oliver, asked her to check in. Emilys been poorly, skipping lectures, and he wanted to see if she needed anything. «Tell him thanks, but Im fine,» Emily says, exhausted. But Sophie cant help adding, «Id kill to live here. Could throw proper parties!» Emily just sighs. «Whos we?» Sophie blurts, «You know, the blessed ones. Off in their own little world.» Emily shuts the door with a quiet, «Ta, then,» and thats that.
Emily tries to sleep, but its no use. Shes lived here her whole life with her gran, Margaretstrict as anything. Raised Emily on etiquette, French, German, the lot. Her parents? Gone. Gran barely talked about them. Just muttered something about her «ungrateful daughter» running off with some bloke named Alex, joining some commune, and thenpoofboth died in a fire. No details. Emily never knew them, never really grieved.
The house was always quiet. Just the seamstress, Doris, who did their clothes; the family doctor, Dr. William; Grans old mates, Elizabeth and Archie; and this bloke, Peter, a retired jeweler whod fancied Gran for years.
Then came the mushrooms. Granwhod never bought a thing off the streetsuddenly brings some home. «Reminded me of the soup our old cook, Agnes, used to make,» she says. It was delicious. Thenbangfood poisoning. Gran refused to call an ambulance at first, insisting on Dr. William. But he was away at his cottage. By the time Emily dialed 999, she could barely see straight. They found her slumped by the door.
Now, Grans gone, and Emilys left with this flat and bills she cant cover on her student loan. Peter buys a few antiques off herprobably underpaid, but it helps. Then she remembers: the flat used to be split into rooms. Maybe she could rent some out.
She posts an ad. Mostly time-wastersforeign workers, rowdy students asking if they can «bring guests.» Then, one day, she spots a young mum, Natalie, with two kids on the street. The little girls gnawing on a stale biscuit; the boys sobbing. Natalies on the phone, begging some bloke named Mike not to leave them homeless. Emily cant walk past.
An hour later, the kids are fed and asleep, and Natalies spilling her life story. Orphaned at 12, foster care, then a con artist sold her flat out from under her. Met Mike, had the kids, then he tossed them out for some woman named Vera. Emily offers them a room.
Then comes Arthur, an old bloke kicked out by his daughter-in-law after she swindled him out of his home. Emily finds him freezing in the stairwell. Lastly, theres Paul, a blind lad left penniless by his carer. Emily spots some lads tormenting him, tossing bread like hes a pigeon. Thats ither house is full.
Now, Natalie cleans at a shop, Paul minds the kids (best storyteller, even if he cant see), and Arthurex-chefturns cheap ingredients into gourmet meals. Emilys got this mad, mismatched family. And honestly? She wouldnt change a thing. Walks in the door, and there they all areher little accidental tribe.
