“I know that, and I’m glad you do, as well. It’s not the end, Olivia. In some ways, it’s just the beginning.”

But the beginning of what? As much as Olivia wanted to hold on to the hope of medical research and the amazing benefits of ginkgo biloba, she knew her mother could only stave off the symptoms for so long. Decline was eventual, inevitable...but then she supposed that was true for everyone.

“I know,” she managed, trying to smile for her mum’s sake. “I’m just taking time to get used to this.” Olivia smiled wryly. “You seem to be handling it much better than I am.”

“You’ll get there. It’s more of a shock to you than it was to me.”

Olivia finished her tea, reluctant to leave her mum, but time was getting on. “I suppose I should go,” she said. “I’m meeting Simon in less than an hour.”

Her mother smiled, her eyebrows raised expectantly. “Simon? Who’s Simon?”

Back at Tea on the Lea, Olivia headed upstairs to change into warmer clothes. It was a perfect day for enjoying the wintry weather—crisp and cold with blue skies and bright, hard sunshine that made every blade of grass sparkle with frost.

Dr Jekyll prowled around her as she squeezed herself into some thermals, wincing at her reflection before she hurriedly put on the rest of her clothes. She’d just yanked on a pair of sturdy boots when she heard a tapping on the glass downstairs.

Dr Jekyll trotted behind her, wanting to investigate, and then decided to be extra-friendly by jumping into Simon’s arms as Olivia opened the door.

“Oh, hello there!” he exclaimed as he caught the cat instinctively. “So you’re being friendly today.”

“For the moment,” Olivia answered as Simon set him down on the floor. “Be careful of his claws.”

“Wise advice.” Simon straightened, brushing his inky hair away from his eyes as he gave her one of his wry smiles. He had a large bag thrown over his shoulder, which Olivia assumed held their skates. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’ll just get my coat.”

“Do you mind walking?” Simon asked as they set off down the high street, the air cold enough to sting Olivia’s cheeks. “It’s not that far, and there isn’t much parking there, or so I’ve heard.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. It’s a beautiful day.”

And it was beautiful, as they took the footpath at the top of the high street, pausing as they crossed the little wooden footbridge that spanned the Lea River, and offered a chocolate-box view of the village.

“You do know where this pond is, don’t you?” Olivia asked, half-joking, as Simon strode down a narrow path that wound between a cluster of oak trees, their branches stark and bare now in the depths of December.

“More or less...” He glanced back at her with a cheeky smile that made her laugh. “Perhaps a little more less.”