They’d had their ten minutes of time, and they were now kindly but firmly ushered out of the GP’s office. Olivia felt strangely numb, and Tina looked composed.

“That wasn’t as terrible as I thought,” she said as they waited to see the nurse. “Although I can’t believe I forgot how to draw a clock.”

“Anyone can get sixes and nines confused, Mum—”

Tina gave her a sharp look. “Don’t make excuses for me, Olivia. We’re past that now, I think.”

“Still, he wants to do more tests...” Olivia faltered at her mother’s steely look, then rallied again. “I just don’t want to throw in the towel at the first opportunity, Mum. Let’s wait and see how the next few tests go.”

Tina nodded in seeming agreement, but Olivia felt as if her mother was just humouring her. She’d already made up her mind about what was going on.

An hour later, having dropped her mother off back at home, Olivia returned to Tea on the Lea feeling mixed-up inside, a tangle of hope and fear. Harriet looked up from the till as she came in.

“We’ve had a run on cupcakes! Apparently word is getting around.”

“Have you?” Olivia was pleasantly surprised. It was only one o’clock in the afternoon; the cupcakes usually sold later in the day.

“Yes, a mum came in to buy six for a dinner party she’s having tonight. And someone else bought two...”

“Are there any left?” Olivia couldn’t keep a note of anxiety from her voice, and of course Harriet picked up on it.

“Oh, yes. There’s still two left. I wouldn’t have sold the last one, don’t you worry. I know you need to save one for your cupcake man.”

Olivia didn’t want to get talking about that again. “He has a name, remember.”

“Yes, I remember. About that, Olivia...”

She held up a hand to forestall any of Harriet’s bumbled apologies or worse, warnings. “Let’s not talk about it, Harriet—”

“No, I don’t want to. I just want to tell you to ignore me. I shouldn’t have said anything, and I don’t know anything, not really—”

Despite her obviously good intentions, Harriet was still making it worse. “I know,” Olivia cut her off, hoping she would finally drop it. “It’s fine. I’m just going to let Simon speak for himself.”

Harriet’s eyes rounded. “So you’re going to ask him?”

Ask him what? “No, I’m going to let the conversation unfold naturally,” Olivia said, holding on to her patience with effort. “And act like we never had this conversation.”

Harriet finally looked as if she were getting the message and she nodded, abashed. “Right. Sorry. How’s your mum, anyway? Is the burn healing all right?”

The burn was just about the least of Olivia’s worries, but she still didn’t feel like sharing what was going on with Harriet, even though she’d already told some of it to Simon last night. “Yes, it’s healing nicely,” she answered. “Thanks for minding the shop.”

Harriet left a few minutes later, and Olivia bustled around, tidying up, rearranging the cakes, and generally trying to keep busy. She turned on some Christmas carols to lift her mood, wanting to get back into the holiday spirit, but after a little the cheerful noise just grated on her and she turned it off.