It was times like this I wished I had the kind of friend I could call at eleven o’clock at night to talk about a text. Instead, after pacing up and down my bedroom floor a few times, I paced all the way down the attic stairs and tapped on the door of Jed’s old bedroom.

‘What?’ he growled, flinging the door open, hair already sticking out in a hundred different directions. ‘It’s nearly midnight.’

‘Is Mia still awake?’

‘No.’

‘What’s happened?’ Mia appeared behind him, knotting the cord of her satin dressing gown as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. ‘Or, should I ask who’s happened, given that you’re asking for me, not your brother?’

‘Eh?’ Jed mumbled as she firmly nudged him out of the doorway.

‘How big is this? Living room?’ She gave me a quick once-over. ‘I think we’d better go upstairs. Via the kitchen.’

I dragged the ratty old armchair over so that Mia could sit with her feet resting on my bed while I leant up against the headboard. Pyjamas on, bowls of ice cream balanced on our laps, we looked prepped for the kind of late-night sisterly chat we might have enjoyed as teenagers, if Jed hadn’t fallen for someone six years older than me.

‘So who’s the problem, Adam or Henry?’

I scrunched my face up. ‘Sort of both?’

‘Go on.’

Wanting to get an unbiased opinion, I showed her the text.

‘You got engaged!’ Her eyes went round with shock. ‘To Adam?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

I briefly explained about the carriage ride and New Year’s Eve.

Her shock switched to focus. ‘Did he send this on purpose, hoping someone would jump to the wrong conclusion?’

‘That seems a bit far-fetched. It’s not like anyone usually reads my phone. And if they did, I could explain. I think he’s probably just been overenthusiastic as usual and hadn’t realised the connotations.’

‘Or he’s sending a subliminal message, in case he ever does propose.’

‘Well…’ I then went on to describe the conversation in the music room.

‘I want to say I’m surprised, but it was clear that he’d come back meaning business. That song at the Spectacular. Turning up the hospital. That’s a bold move, though, given that you broke up six months ago.’

‘He’s all about the grand gesture. I think he knew I was serious about moving on this time. Flowers and yet another song with my name in it wasn’t going to cut it.’

‘I know you haven’t said yes… but I get the impression you haven’t said no, either, if you’re hopping into a horse drawn carriage together.’