Quiz? What quiz? Jesus, what had she just agreed to? A cold lump of dread started to make itself comfortable in Kate’s stomach.

Two weeks later, as Kate lay in bed after the alarm, she briefly considered feigning illness, before dismissing the thought. Becky was so excited about this Family Woman Day and the clue to survival was in the name: it was a single day. Even if it wasn’t much fun for her personally, she could get through it. There just wasn’t the time for it to get that bad. This practical thinking gave her a little boost and she ran down the stairs, stopping as she saw the post on the mat. She could hear Becky getting the breakfast ready in the kitchen, singing along to the radio.

Kate bent down to pick up the mail, her heart stalling as she saw a weather-beaten pink envelope tucked amongst the others. Her address, which she’d carefully written in the bottom right-hand corner, had been ringed and someone had scribbled ‘Return to sender’ next to it. She recognized the handwriting. It was her mother’s.

Kate turned the envelope over – it hadn’t even been opened. Even after all these years, it hurt.

‘Breakfast’s ready,’ said Becky, appearing in the kitchen doorway. ‘Hey, what’s up?’

‘Nothing,’ said Kate, brightly. She tucked the pink envelope back in amongst the others and walked past Becky into the kitchen.

So far, it hadn’t been too bad. In fact, Kate had even enjoyed the school assembly, listening to the headmistress talk about various pupils’ achievements, seeing their faces light up as they went to the front to collect their certificates for an inter-school sports match or Duke of Edinburgh scheme. And Becky had won something, too. Seeing her go up on stage to collect her prize for leading a politics debate made Kate glow with pride.

Assembly had been followed by time in the classrooms, something Kate had been dreading in case she was asked a question, but she needn’t have worried. The lessons had been deliberately designed to be inclusive and Kate had found herself taking part in a science experiment where Becky took the lead.

Kate was aware of Julia Cromwell, on the other side of the classroom, but she appeared to be engrossed in the same experiment with Violet and hadn’t even glanced her way. Lunch was surprisingly tasty, and Kate had struck up conversation with some of the other female relatives. Claire’s grandmother, Sue, was a retired nurse who was currently fitting in as many foreign trips a year with her also-retired husband as they could, while they still ‘had all their marbles’.

The quiz was scheduled for after lunch and as everyone filed into the main hall, there was a competitive buzz in the air. To Kate’s dismay, she found that she and Becky had been put on a table with Julia and Violet. Claire and Sue made up their team. Kate felt her earlier confidence evaporate as the questions started coming and Julia nominated herself as team captain and therefore the one who would write down all the answers. Julia also monopolized the debates over the answers and Kate grew quieter as the afternoon wore on. She could sense Julia growing more scornful, and was just wishing the whole thing could be over when Julia suddenly addressed her.