Linda bats away the olive branch. ‘Our Christmas family outing is a plan you can’t cancel,’ she counters icily. ‘Do you not think that Sofia and Alex might be busier than you? They’re working all hours at the hospital, but they still managed to book the time off. Gabriela is missing out on teaching two Pilates classes, and told her agent not to put her forward for any auditions today. It’s not that difficult, you know. Prioritising your family once in a while.’

‘They’re not my family,’ Kat mutters under her breath. She knows she’s regressing, tumbling back into her petulant teenage self, but her sisters have always been a trigger. Sofia turned out to be a science genius and ended up at Imperial studying medicine. She’s now working as a junior doctor at West Berkshire Community Hospital, alongside her fiancé Alex. Gabriela isn’t such a goody two-shoes, but she shows her value in other ways. Bit parts in Casualty and EastEnders. Millions of views for her stupid memes on TikTok. All topped off with a physique that’s Pilates-moulded to perfection.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they’re your family.’ Her mum sighs and softens her voice. ‘Look, forget everyone else. I’d love to have you there; please come, for me.’ Kat looks at her mum’s imploring face. She doesn’t care about the others, but she hates rejecting her mum.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t,’ she whispers. ‘I would be letting someone down.’

‘Who, Kat? Who is that important?’ A light switches on in her mum’s eyes; Kat can almost see it glowing. ‘Is it some special?’ she asks.

Kat scratches her chin and looks away. ‘Maybe,’ she admits.

‘You like each other?’ Kat’s mum pauses. ‘And it’s mutual?’

Kat’s shoulders tighten. She bites the inside of her cheek. ‘I need to get on; you should go.’

‘I’m sorry – that came out wrong.’

‘It’s fine. We all know what happened. How I fucked up.’

‘It was a lifetime ago, Kat,’ her mum tries. ‘You need to let the guilt go.’

Kat turns back to face her mum. They share the same colouring, but otherwise they’re opposites. Her mum is slight and pretty, while she inherited her dad’s stocky frame and masculine features. But they do love each other, on some fundamental level, so it shouldn’t be this awkward. ‘I’m trying, Mum. And seeing my friend tonight is part of that.’

Her mum sighs, then pushes her arms into her coat, one by one. ‘Well in that case, I forgive you.’ She gives Kat a watery smile and nods. ‘Happy Christmas, love.’ She plants a quick kiss on Kat’s cheek, then leans on the door and glides out of the salon.