“You don’t actually need this kind of thing, Maddie.” Because you’re beautiful as you are, I think, but I don’t say it. I’m pretty sure that she would now say, “Thank you, Sam.” That’s what I imagine anyway, and I blush.

“Good? What next?” I ask her.

Now I would love to watch a film, Sam.

“With pleasure, Maddie. How about a dance movie?”

Is it romantic?

“I think so. Yes, I guess so. Why, is that a problem?”

No! I’m so happy you thought of it, but I do hope it isn’t soppy.

“Do you know this film, Dirty Dancing? I’ve no idea if it’s soppy, but we can give it a go.”

I sit down gently on the bed beside her. I search the iPad, start the film, and hold up the screen so that we both have a good view.

“Can you see properly?”

She says nothing, but she’s watching with rapt attention.

Okay, here we go. Oh my God. “What’s she doing? Are those melons? Maddie?”

Girls are like that, Sam. We’re shy.

“Maybe, but that shy?”

The plot is really peculiar.

“The guy isn’t too bad, is he? He wears strange clothes, and what have they done to his hair? Do girls like that look? Is ‘Baby’ a real name?”

Most girls I know—and, to be honest, there aren’t very many—always talk in such an affected fashion and roll their eyes at this and say, “Oh, come on!” But that’s what I like about Maddie: she stays completely cool.

Then the dancing starts. Okay. Whoa. This is the kind of thing girls like? What would Scott say? “You don’t have to understand women to like them. We don’t understand cats or hippos, but we still think they’re great.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was this romantic.”

Well, Sam, I guess you’re going to have to make up for your mistake. Can you dance the way they just did?

“No.”

Oh, please!

“Maddie, I can’t sing. And I can’t dance either.”

Please, Sam!

I gaze into Maddie’s gorgeous, expressionless eyes. I’m sure she’s with me right now and is merely keeping still so as not to spoil the moment. Yes, that must be it. But I’ve decided she’s not going to be able to keep this up for much longer.

“Okay, I’ll do it, but don’t you dare laugh.” Oh, please do laugh! I would gladly make a total fool of myself if you would only laugh, just once.

I place the iPad on the small table next to the bed, pivot it so that Maddie has a good view, and replay the scene in which Baby walks up the steps, practicing her dance steps and waggling her behind. Then I try to do the same.

“Like that, Maddie?”