“We should be back in fifteen minutes. Why don’t I pop to the Co-op and get some of that tortellini you like and we can have a late dinner together?”

“Thanks, but I’ve already eaten.”

“What did you have?”

“Cheese on toast.”

“That’s not a proper dinner. Let me make you something when I get home. There might be some soup in the freezer—we could defrost it in the microwave.”

“There’s not. I already checked. There’s nothing in the freezer except a bag of crumpets and some pastry.”

Jess glanced out of the car window and back down the street, wondering what was taking her mum so long. “Well, I could still pick something up. You need to eat—cheese on toast isn’t enough. Anyway, have you finished all your homework? Isn’t your essay on The Taming of the Shrew due in on Friday?”

“I’m halfway through it. I’ll finish it tomorrow night.”

Jess thought about her work schedule for the next day. It was unlikely she’d be at home in time for dinner with Mia tomorrow either. “Wouldn’t it be better to finish it tonight and then you can read it through fresh tomorrow?”

There was a moment’s hesitation and Jess thought she could hear in the silence the cogs whirring in Mia’s head.

“My art project’s due on Friday as well and there’s still loads I want to do on it.”

Jess winced as she pulled the cuticle away from her thumbnail and watched a small drop of blood ooze out. “We’ve been through this before, Mia. The only reason I let you take art as a fifth A-level was because you insisted it wouldn’t interfere with your other subjects. If you can’t stick to that then we’ll have to think again about whether you should be doing it at all.”

“It’s not interfering, I promise. I can easily finish my English essay tomorrow.”

Jess sucked at her thumb, the blood metallic on her tongue. “You know what your teachers said. If you’re going to get into Cambridge, you have to get straight A-stars in your four academic subjects.”

There was another long silence and Jess wondered what Mia was doing, wished she could read her expression and work out what she was thinking.

“I know that, but it’s just so unlikely. Only one person has gone to Cambridge or Oxford from my school in the last eight years so I don’t know why you think I stand a chance.”

“Because you’re clever enough, Mia. If you work hard enough, I know you can do it. Just think how amazing it would be. I’d be so proud of you. And, believe me, if you don’t give it your best shot and you end up just missing out, you’ll be kicking yourself for the rest of your life.”