“Wow. They have super-hot babes there too, don’t they?” said Blair.

Oke shrugged. “Well . . .”

Blair beamed at him. “Well, you have caught me in a good mood—what’s your name?”

Oke gave it, and Blair signed a book with a flourish, even though it wasn’t technically his and Oke really hadn’t wanted to buy it.

“Here,” he said, handing it over. The title of the book was Love Every Day.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Carmen was worried about turning up to the school not knowing anyone and having to loiter awkwardly around the school gates looking like a total weirdo, but Phoebe had point-blank refused to go in to class on her own and was hanging on to Carmen with all her might, and actually there were lots of mothers she recognized from the shop, who nodded and waved to her.

Pippa had marched in, hauling her bassoon and absolutely full of her amazing little brother news, prepared to be queen of the playground, but Phoebe had held back, and Carmen had remembered hearing about the disastrous last time when she’d frozen in front of the whole school.

“Are you doing a solo today?” she said, squeezing her hand.

Phoebe shook her head. “I’m in the back row,” she said. “Calintha McGuire is doing it.”

“She sounds awful,” said Carmen, and was rewarded with a half smile.

“There she is.” Phoebe nudged her attention toward a girl with immaculate bright blond braids, overenunciating to a group of acolytes.

“Bloody hell, she looks awful,” said Carmen, and Phoebe sniggered. It was lovely to hear the child laugh. “Well, I’ve heard you in the bath,” Carmen continued. “And I have to tell you, I think you’re tremendous. I can’t sing at all. Promise me you’ll just perform to me and not all these other people, every single one of whom is stupid. Sing your song just for me. And for the new baby. It can be his song.”

“It is about a baby,” said Phoebe thoughtfully.

“Well, there you go. Make it his song. I’ve heard you singing with the record. Just do that.”

To her disappointment, Skylar hadn’t been in when they’d all got home. Carmen wanted to be there when Sofia fired her. Then she wanted to call her back and tell her she was rehired, then fire her herself. It was astonishing how much the fire burned in her. She could handle Skylar making snide remarks to her and taking the chap she liked, or thought she’d liked. But as soon as she came for one of her family? No way, matey.

The other mums came up and gathered around, asking about the baby and names, and were full of praise and attention for Phoebe as the newly minted big sister, and Carmen had to wonder really what she had spent all those years sneering at Sofia’s friends for.