Olivia nodded. ‘He got impatient with Mum because she was so tired. He told her she needed to make more of an effort and said she’d never get better if she didn’t try.’ A tear trickled down the side of her nose. ‘I told him he couldn’t bully someone into getting better but he wouldn’t listen. In fact, I think I might have made him worse because he started to try and pull Mum out of her chair. I was scared he was going to hurt her by accident, so I pushed him off her, and that’s when he lost his balance.’ She shook her head. ‘He was as mad as fire when he threw his walking stick at me – it’s a good thing I’m quick on my feet.’

Ted’s jaw tightened. ‘The one with the dog’s head?’

She nodded. ‘It’s the only one he’s got.’

Pulling her close, Ted absent-mindedly kissed the top of her head. ‘Don’t blame yourself, you were only trying to look after your mother.’ He rubbed her shoulder with the palm of his hand. ‘If he ever gets too much you can come and hide at ours for a bit.’

She smiled up at him. ‘Thanks, Ted.’ As she gazed into his eyes, something seemed to be different. She wasn’t certain what it was, but in that instant, her feelings towards him had changed and she was fairly certain that Ted had noticed it too, because he was no longer gazing fixedly at her but his attention was alternating between her eyes and her mouth, until eventually settling on her lips. Leaning forward, he kissed her clumsily on the mouth.

Olivia’s heart was racing. She had never been kissed by a boy before, not even on the cheek, yet here she was with her dearest friend, sharing their first kiss. He pulled back, eyeing her with shy uncertainty. ‘Do you mind?’

A faint hint of pink tinged her cheeks as she smiled back. Yesterday had been her fourteenth birthday, and today had been her first kiss. ‘Not when it’s you doing the kissing, Ted Hewitt,’ she mumbled, and was pleased when he leaned forward and continued to kiss her softly.