“Don’t worry about it, Norman. It’s okay. I... I know it looks like a lot of people, but once they’re inside sitting down it won’t look so bad, I promise. You’ll be fine. You’re going to be amazing.”

Good God. Here it was. Twelve years late but, finally, the good-mother gene had kicked in. I could feel some more good advice bubbling up, trying to get over my tongue, but before I had a chance to find out what it was Norman started waving his arms above his head and pointing across the road.

“No, Mum, look! That’s...it’s Kathy and Tony. They’re here! And Adam! Oh my God, Mum! Look! There’s Big Al! They came! They actually came!”

As Norman’s words started to sink in, my eyes focused on the sea of faces milling around across the road. And sure enough, I couldn’t have missed Adam, busy running into people in his mobility scooter, looking like he was even getting a few apologies. Then I saw Kathy and Tony standing slightly to the side of the crowd, deep in a conversation where nobody else existed. And over there, a brown-haired bearded giant towering over the rest of the heads, staring off into the middle distance like he might be reciting poetry in his head. Big Al. Larger than life. Steady as a rock. Lovelier than a sonnet.

I shook my head to change the unexpected direction in which my thoughts had drifted, but my newfound articulation appeared to have lost its way already.

“H-how did they... I mean, what...”

“I think, I mean I guess I know. I called them, Mum.”

Norman’s face was close to mine and I could almost see my reflection in his pink, shiny and nearly totally scale-free forehead.

“When you and Leonard didn’t come back by six at the latest I was so...well, I was pretty scared, Mum. So I thought I should make a contingency plan, which was to call a responsible adult and well...they are, I think. But then none of them answered their phones and I had to leave messages and then...then I found the last name on the list, which was James...so I called him and then, well, that’s a really, really long story, Mum. I can’t wait to tell you, but...” He tipped his head to the left so he could see around me to the crowd across the road.

“I reckon we should... I really want to say hello before the show. Mum, come on!”

He’d already grabbed my hand and was dragging me across the road, turning his head every couple of steps to check on me but heading full tilt for them. All I could do was follow. And so I did.

We pushed through the crowd, and there they were. Kathy, Tony, Adam and Big Al, now anchored by Leonard, who was busy making introductions and being charming. I hesitated, and I felt Norman’s hand slip out of mine as he moved forward into the little circle. Then everyone was talking over the top of each other, trying to get Norman’s attention, touching him lightly, a squeeze here, a gentle hair ruffle there.