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‘And what might that be?’ the woman answered coldly.

‘I love your daughter,’ Poppy told her.

Norah's eyes were shining. ‘And I love Poppy.’

Poppy took her hand and squeezed it. Norah squeezed it back. Poppy felt a shot of pure joy.

Mrs Cauldwell was less impressed. ‘Is that right?’ she scoffed.

‘Yes,’ Poppy said, turning her attention back to her for a moment. ‘And I’m going to ask her on a date. I think she’s going to say yes,’ Poppy said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

‘That’s right. I am,’ Norah said quickly.

Poppy smiled at her. ‘Great.’ She turned back to Mrs Cauldwell. ‘I don’t want your opinion on that. The only opinion that I will give any credence to is Norah’s. You won’t get between us again.’

Mrs Cauldwell stared, open-mouthed, but Poppy wasn’t quite done. ‘Oh, and don’t try to shame me by dragging my mother into this again. Iknowshe loved me, and Iknowshe was proud of me, and I knew her better than you ever could by quite a long way. That’s another subject you should keep quiet about.’

Mrs Cauldwell’s face was as tight as a duck’s arse, and Poppy thought she was about to get screamed at. But the woman just shook her head, looking at her daughter. ‘I guess you can’t save someone from themselves.’

‘That’s right. You can’t,’ Norah said pointedly.

‘I’m going home,’ Mrs Caldwell said. ‘Butyou should find somewhere else to live.’

‘I just lost my job,’ Norah pointed out. ‘I need a minute to get that sorted. I trust you won’t make us homeless just yet?’

Her mother sighed. ‘Of course I wouldn’t. I’m not a monster, Norah.’

Norah looked at her mother. ‘I know that. You’re just very afraid.’

Mrs Cauldwell’s eyes welled. ‘I’ve only ever been afraid for you,’ she said.

‘Well, don’t,’ Norah said. ‘I don’t need it. I never needed it.’

Mrs Cauldwell looked like she wanted to say something, but she seemed empty of retorts at last. She turned and walked away. Poppy watched Norah watch her mother leave. There was sadness in her eyes, but also relief.

‘You guys want to come to ours for a bit?’ Poppy asked Norah and Freddie.

‘You got snacks?’ Freddie asked.

Poppy laughed. ‘Of course.’

‘Let’s just go! I’m desperate to go the toilet,’ Luna said.

‘I went under the bouncy castle,’ Freddie admitted glumly.

‘I packed spare trousers, Freds,’ Norah assured him.

Poppy and Norah took the hands of their children, as well as each other’s hands, and left the madness of the fayre, heading to the peace of Poppy’s house.

Forty

The kids were fast asleep, both tucked into either end of Luna’s bed. Downstairs, the adults were talking about the past on the old couch.

‘And you believed that I was too grief-stricken to understand what I wanted?’ Norah said.

‘It made sense at the time,’ Poppy shrugged.

‘But why didn’t you come and tell me what she said? I would havetoldyou it was bullshit,’ Norah asked.