‘I know you’re probably thinking I would say that because I’m his mum, but he’d help you out with anything. Noel’s a true gent. He’d be the perfect man if you could get him to cut his hair and take that piercing out …’

I know exactly what she’s hinting at, but I think she’s about to tell me he’s wormed, defleaed, housetrained, and comes with a puppy pack in a minute, and I haven’t got the heart to tell her that his lip piercing is probably the sexiest thing about him, and his hair is a close second.

She looks at me like she can tell I’m staying silent for a reason. ‘You’re right. Your love lives are none of my business. It’s just that he can be a bit abrasive on the surface, and he pushes people away when he really wants to let them in. I didn’t want you to see the way he protects himself and think it’s the way he is deep down inside. He’s been single for so long now, I think he’s forgotten how to act around women he likes.’

I feel a bit sorry for him with the emphasis she puts on the ‘so’. Before Steve, I’d been single for a long time too – I only wish I’d stayed that way. Good on him for staying by himself rather than settling for someone who wasn’t right.

‘So, how’s the plan coming along for the Christmas tree competition?’

‘It’s okay, flower, we can change the subject.’ She’s smiling when she looks up at me. ‘It’s going well. We’ve gone with your idea of a Cinderella theme. I’ve been buying up all the glass slipper ornaments I can get my hands on, and I’m knitting strings of tiny pumpkins. Noel’s doing something with model train tracks for a moving fairytale carriage. It’s going to look miraculous.’

‘It’s the talk of the market. Fergus and Fiona have made themselves heads of the Christmas tree committee, and all the traders have got involved and started swapping ideas. Apparently, the uptake from nearby businesses has been great too, better than Fergus and Fiona expected. They’re really pleased.’ I can’t help the sigh that escapes. ‘I just want it to help. I love it there. I don’t want to see it disappear. It would change the whole town.’

Glenna’s crinkled face mirrors my sadness.

‘I was thinking about trying to get the media involved,’ I say cautiously. ‘Chelsea’s got a lot of contacts in that area. If we could get some coverage in local papers about the competition and what we’re trying to do … it could really help.’