‘Ein Platz in der Sonne. I made it up. It’s the same as A Place in the Sun, but in German.’

Jake laughs.

‘It’s not funny, Jake. He’s going to be so grumpy because I haven’t apologized for shouting at him last night.’

‘Oh, that’s easy.’ Jake beams. ‘Just say sorry, like I do. You don’t actually have to mean it.’

I look around the square. The sun is shining on the grass, on our tree, on the roofs of the parked cars. Mrs Flower is out in her front garden. She’s pretending to cut her roses but all she’s really doing is nosing around, checking what other people are doing. She won’t be able to see much of Granddad though because his curtains are clamped shut as usual. It’s Friday. I should be looking forward to a weekend in the tree, but instead I’ve got to spend it at Granddad’s. All day at school I’ve been thinking of ways to get out of it. I asked Rebecca if I could go to hers, but she said it might be weird because our mums aren’t talking and she thought I was being mean to Granddad anyway. Jake said I could stop at his, but his dad doesn’t speak to me. I would be okay if parents, including mine, didn’t interfere. So there’s nothing for it, I have to stay with Granddad, but the hardest thing is that I have to apologize for storming out on him first.

*

The red numbers on the cooker are flashing 0 0 0 0 0 as I open Granddad’s back door. Samson is in the corner licking the last bits of jelly meat from his bowl. I bend down and give him a stroke. He purrs and rubs his head against my legs. I listen for the rumble of the TV or music from the radio, but there’s nothing, just the sound of my breath as I creep through the kitchen into the hall. Granddad must have fallen asleep in front of the TV. I hope so. That way I can just sneak up the stairs to my room, go without tea and hope that everything will be okay in the morning.

I creep past one of the clocks, then the radiator, then peer around the frame of the door.

The tiny spotlight is on and Granddad’s leaning forward in the shadows with his head in his hands like he’s crying. The only time I’ve seen him cry was at Grandma’s funeral, but then everyone cried at Grandma’s funeral, including me. I don’t want to see him cry. I don’t think he’d like me to see him cry either.

I go to lift my left foot and creep past the doorway. Granddad raises his head. I step back.