After thanking the genial man, the group stepped out of the shop into a darkening afternoon. The temperature had plunged and the Christmas lights like bunting overhead burned brighter as they set off for the last treat on their schedule, something called a singing Christmas tree. Max had exhorted them not to miss it and they arrived at the appropriate square with a hazy idea of an animatronic tree. What they found was by far more charming. The ‘tree’ was actually a pyramid-shape of balconies one atop the other, trimmed with fir tree branches spangled with lights and a huge star on top. The members of a local choir filled the balconies, looking like Christmas decorations in their gaily coloured hats and scarves. A band played at the foot of the tree and the choir sang ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Feliz Navidad’. A nearby stall provided beer and hot chocolate and, dancing and singing, the Middletones joined in. Lily, laughing, took a video on her phone and thought she had rarely been so happy.

It felt like one of those special moments when family problems and time running out faded into the background in the face of a special joy.

But as the closing notes of ‘White Christmas’ faded away she heard Isaac’s voice speaking rapidly, angrily, and turned to find him with his phone clamped to his ear. ‘Just hold your friggin’ horses. I’m in another country. I can’t just drop everything,’ he snapped. Then, in an altered tone, ‘What do you mean? What’s happened to Hayley?’

Chapter Eighteen

‘Hang on, Nicola. I need to move somewhere quieter.’ Isaac turned his back on the singing and dancing that had been engrossing him before his phone rang and strode out of the pool of light and away from the crowd.

When he reached a bench he dropped down on it. ‘What’s happened?’ he demanded.

Nicola’s voice was tight and anxious. ‘Don’t think I wanted to make this call. I’m not doing it to piss you off. I’m doing it because we haven’t got a choice.’

‘Tell me,’ he said with quiet emphasis.

So Nicola did, in short, brutal sentences. ‘Hayley was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago. She had a mastectomy and reconstruction on Monday. The op is the reason she asked you to take Doggo. She knew she wouldn’t be able to look after him because she can’t currently look after herself. My sister Vicky and I agreed to take turns staying with her to cook, help her wash and dress, run her to and from appointments and be with her when she got the histology results. She can’t lift anything heavier than half a kettle of water and she’s in pain from the wound and the drains.’