‘I ain’t seen him. To be honest, with my mum’s funeral and everything else, I haven’t really had time to think about him. Oh, Mo, I wish you hadn’t mentioned him because now I’ve got butterflies.’

Mo suddenly burst into song, and began waltzing around the room as she sang Doris Day’s ‘Secret Love’. Then she giggled along with Sarah, noticing her once pale face was now blushing pink.

‘Thanks for the cuppa and the entertainment,’ Sarah said, ‘but I’d better get downstairs and tidy up before I pick Tommy up from school. Honestly, he was so excited this morning, he was like a little whirlwind.’

Mo nodded her head and tried to hide her disappointment. She’d hoped Sarah would stay longer. ‘I could give you a hand if you like,’ she offered. She didn’t particularly like housework, but at least she’d still have the company of her friend.

‘No, it’s all right, thanks, Mo. It’s only one room, it won’t take me long. I’ll see ya soon.’

Sarah walked out, leaving Mo feeling lonely. She missed Samuel and wished he would take more time off work. Trouble was, it appeared he was becoming more and more obsessed with saving to buy their own place, but the extra hours of overtime weren’t helping to fulfil Mo’s idea of a happy relationship.

Mo slumped in her chair, finding the silence of the room almost deafening. Well, whether Samuel liked it or not, she decided she’d dip into their savings and treat herself to a new radio. After all, if he was going to leave her alone so much, she needed some sort of entertainment.

A while later, Sarah stood at the school gates waiting for Tommy to emerge. A light drizzle was beginning to fall, but she doubted it would dampen her brother’s spirits.

She heard a bell ring, then all at once there was a mass exodus from the school building as young boys and girls filed out into the playground. She immediately spotted Tommy, who was running alongside Larry, both chuckling mischievously.

‘Sarah, I had the best day ever!’ Tommy said as he ran towards her. ‘Larry and me are going to be in the class play, and guess what? I’m going to be a talking tree!’

‘Sounds like fun. What else did you do today?’ Sarah asked as she went to hold Tommy’s hand, but missed as he ran ahead.

‘I’ll see you at home, Mum. I’m going to run after Larry.’

Shocked at what she’d heard, Sarah stopped walking and ran Tommy’s words over again in her head. He’d called her Mum, there was no mistaking it. She had always felt like his mother and loved him as if he were her own son, but to hear him call her Mum melted her heart.