Kath interrupted, ‘George, you’re going on the date so shut up. You can’t let Julie down. She’s been looking forward to this dance for ages, and anyhow, when was the last time you went out?’

‘OK, OK,’ George said, but glanced at Sarah. He’d much rather be taking her out, but she would always be out of his reach and he’d resigned himself to the fact they would never be anything more than friends.

‘Good, see you tomorrow then,’ Kath said firmly.

George reluctantly nodded and got out of the van to open the other door for his mum to get in.

‘See, my Albert ain’t the only bloke with good manners,’ Lena said as she climbed in. ‘See you soon, ladies, and thanks for a good laugh tonight.’

George opened the back doors for Sarah. ‘Sorry, it ain’t very comfortable for a lady in the back of my van but I have made you a wooden bench to sit on.’

‘It’s fine, George, thanks. Tommy used to love riding in the back, and I’m sure I will too. It beats walking home at this time of night.’

They set off. Lena relayed funny bits of the evening’s conversation, but George noticed that Sarah seemed very subdued. He hoped she hadn’t been overwhelmed by the women. After all, they could be quite boisterous when they all got together. ‘Are you OK in the cheap seats at the back there?’ he asked.

‘Yes, I’m just tired,’ Sarah answered.

He could see she wasn’t tired and knew something was bothering her, but he’d have to get to the bottom of it when his mother wasn’t around.

On Friday morning George found Sarah quiet over breakfast. His mum was acting a bit odd too, smiling and winking at him as he left for work.

He was now busy on his stall, but his heart was hammering in his chest as he kept an eye out for Kath. Thankfully, the first part of the morning whizzed by. Then, when he was showing a customer a dress that had caught her eye, he heard a voice say, ‘Hello, George.’

George turned to see Kath, and beside her a diminutive, pretty young woman. ‘Hello, Kath. None the worse for wear this morning then?’

‘Cheeky. I only had a couple glasses of booze. George, this is my niece Julie. She’s training to be a nurse.’

‘Hello, Julie, pleasure to meet you,’ George said nervously. She was much better-looking than he’d been expecting.

‘Nice to meet you too,’ she replied, looking straight up at his face with none of the usual horror or shock that George was used to.

Suddenly finding himself stuck for anything to say, he stammered, ‘So … so you’re training to be a nurse?’