Now my own eyes are filling with tears but I rub at them, hoping to keep the floodgates closed. I cannot do this, sit and cry in a shed with my Dad.

‘It’ll be alright, Dad. Mom isn’t going to get better, but if we stick together and do what we can for her, we will get through this.’

My father loves me. Every time he looks into my eyes I can tell.

‘I don’t know what I would do without you,’ he says, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me in a hug.

‘You don’t have to worry about that, Dad. You know I’ll always be here for you.’

Linking his arm, I lead him out of the shed and back up to the house.

‘Where’s Danny and Joanna?’ I say when we get back indoors.

‘You didn’t hear?’

‘Hear what?’

‘Joanna was at the hospital all night. A scare of some sort with the baby. Danny called and said everything was fine, they’re home now but they’re too tired to come over.’

‘But she’s okay?’

‘As far as I know. Danny said there’s nothing to worry about.’

Making a mental note to ring Danny later, I do my best to distract my Dad from his sadness.

‘Nothing to worry about?’ I say. ‘I’m starving over here, and there’s nothing in the fridge, nothing cooking.’

My father looks at me for a second, then laughs.

‘I have some steaks we can throw on the grill if you like,’ he says.

I don’t like, so I don’t answer, waiting for the next offer.

‘Or we could pop down to Benny’s Bistro.’

That sounds better. Benny’s isn’t the greatest, but I think Dad likes to go there because of the memories. The birthday parties. The four of us around the wooden table. Red and white napkins. Mom smiling. Dad smiling. Danny’s face covered in barbecue sauce. And me thinking I’m the luckiest girl in the world when the waitress puts the knickerbocker glory down in front of me. I don’t eat them anymore.

Leaving Benny’s full of steak and cheesecake, I notice that Maxwell’s Bakery is open, so I go in and buy a pecan pie for Bert and Elsie. This time I won’t be able to pretend I baked it. The baker has stickers on the box proclaiming ownership of the recipe, and anyway, it’s quite a leap from Joanna’s buns. They would never believe me.