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‘Of course. I’m intrigued.’

Sarah drove to Mia’s house, threw the car up on the pavement outside, rushed up to the front door and rang the bell.

After a minute, Riley opened the door. She was wearing tartan pyjama bottoms and a black hoodie. Black eyeliner was smudged around her eyes. ‘Hi, Sarah.’

‘Hi, love.’ Sarah kissed her teenage niece’s cheek. ‘Not out tonight?’

Riley rolled her eyes. ‘As if. The Wicked Witch of the West has grounded me for two weeks because I got home an hour late last night.’

Sarah smiled. ‘Well, curfews are there for a reason.’

‘Come on! I’m nearly sixteen. Having to be home at eleven is ridiculous. She’s a tyrant.’

Sarah laughed and put her arm around her niece’s shoulders. ‘No, she isn’t, she’s just protective of you. I would be, too. I love you too much to have anything bad happen to you, which is exactly what your mother’s thinking.’

Riley rested her head against Sarah’s shoulder. ‘Will you talk to her? I really want to go to a party next Friday.’

Sarah kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ll put in a good word for you, but you have to be back at whatever time she says, OK?’

Riley hugged her tightly. ‘I will, I promise. If you get her to agree, I’ll love you even more than I already do.’

Mia opened the kitchen door. ‘I thought I heard voices. Come in, I’m dying to hear what happened.’

‘Sounds interesting, what’s the gossip?’ Johnny asked, from the kitchen table, where he was nursing a beer.

Sarah smiled at her brother-in-law. ‘Stupid school mums’ dinner that went a bit awry.’

‘A cat fight?’ Johnny’s eyes twinkled.

‘Not quite, but not far off. I behaved quite badly.’

‘You?’ Johnny looked surprised. ‘I don’t believe that for a minute. You didn’t even snap when a barman poured an entire pint of Guinness over a brand new dress, remember?’

‘Must be the pregnancy hormones. I lost it tonight,’ Sarah said, taking off her coat and hanging it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. ‘Brace yourselves.’ She sat down and filled them in on her lively evening.

‘What?’ Mia threw back her head and laughed. ‘God, I wish I’d been there. Good for you! You couldn’t let those two cows get away with it. I’d say they nearly died. Everyone thinks you’re this calm, laidback person, but I know inside you’re a lioness who’ll defend her cub to the death. My God, I’d say they were in complete shock.’

Sarah giggled. ‘They did look pretty taken aback.’

‘Go, Sarah!’ Johnny grinned. ‘They deserved a tongue-lashing. Anyone who would say that about Izzy is a certified idiot.’

‘Yeah,’ Riley said. ‘How dare those bitches knock Izzy? She’s the best.’

‘Language,’ Mia said.

‘But they are bitches,’ Riley protested.

‘To be fair, they sound like it.’ Johnny backed up his daughter.

‘They are,’ Sarah agreed. ‘But, still, I’m not sure I was much better in the end. I may have slightly overreacted, but then again, I won’t let Izzy be picked on, no way. I’ve been there and it’s awful.’

‘Exactly,’ Mia said. ‘You were absolutely right to put them in their place. That’s just a horrible way to behave.’

‘Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Izzy and school,’ Sarah said.

Johnny stood up. ‘Right, Riley, let’s leave them to it. Come on, I recorded the new episode ofThe Young Offenders.’

‘Cool.’