‘Yes.’ She holds it up then and Chloe sees that it’s a sleeveless top with a white collar and three buttons in a V at the neck. The style you might describe as retro, but she is used to Maureen’s taste, a little more old-fashioned. Maureen passes the top over to her.

‘There are just the last few bits to do,’ she says, ‘but it won’t take me a minute after you finish your breakfast.’

Chloe takes the top and holds it up against her chest, glancing down at it over her dressing gown. She runs her finger along the seam at the bottom; every last stitch is perfect.

‘You really made this for me?’ she says.

Maureen nods. ‘Oh, it’s just a little something. I had some material left over and . . . well, the pattern is a bit young for me now and, what with the warmer weather coming . . .’

Chloe remembers the notes she had made on the symptoms Maureen’s drugs help to ease. She feels for her all over again.

‘Nobody has ever made anything for me before,’ Chloe says.

‘Really?’

Chloe nods.

‘Not even your nan?’

Chloe shakes her head.

‘Well, there you go,’ Maureen says, smiling.

‘Thank you, I love it.’

She gets up from her seat and wraps Maureen in a hug. Maureen pats her arm gently. She steps back then, surprised by herself, by how naturally they had fitted together – she hadn’t expected that. She looks down at the material in her hands.

‘I’m so pleased you like it,’ Maureen says as she gets up and finds some pots and pans to put away.

Chloe wants to show how much it means to her. ‘Shall I try it on now?’

‘Later,’ Maureen says. ‘Have your breakfast first. You can wear it tonight, let Patrick see you in it.’ She takes it back gently. ‘Anyway, I’ve got those last few bits to do.’

Chloe sits back down at the table. She picks up her bowl again and eats slowly while she watches Maureen’s hands work fast, carefully, twisting the material this way and that under the needle. She lines up each sunflower until it is exactly so, taking great care over every stitch because she’s making it for Chloe and she wants it to be just right.

‘I can’t believe you’ve done this for me,’ Chloe says again.

Maureen smiles. ‘The pleasure is all mine.’

After breakfast Chloe makes an excuse to walk up to the village shop on her own. Elm House sits in a black spot with patchy phone signal and she needs to make a call.

‘I’m going to get a magazine,’ she shouts up to Maureen who is in the bathroom. ‘Do you need anything from the shop?’

She shouts a muffled ‘no’ from under the shower.