Maggie had to swallow her feelings down hard. The kind gesture had taken her by surprise. The fact that someone genuinely cared had caught her off guard. Of course she had a local farmer, Fraser Savage, who was only three fields away if she ever got desperate but it was heart-warming to think she now had someone else if she really needed them.

‘Thank you,’ said Maggie. Tom did his usual nonchalant shrug. She wouldn’t embarrass him. She rubbed her hands together. ‘Right. Let’s hatch a plan of attack.’

15

TOM

I was starting to like Sundays. Usually they sucked. We never did anything. It was a nothing day. One of my mates always went out for a meal on a Sunday, usually had a carvery with his folks, lucky bastard, and then visited his gran for tea. I thought that sounded good but he always moaned about it because I was playing on the Xbox most of the day and he thought that was way better. Now my mates play it without me. I told them my Xbox was glitching. I could hardly tell them my drunk of an old man had chucked it down the stairs. I say mates but all we had in common was gaming and now it’s gone so have they.

Mum used to hoover and clean on Sundays in between making a roast dinner. But Dad and I don’t bother with either. He did used to clean but I can’t remember the last time I heard the hoover going. Mum used to send me outside to play football. Sometimes me and Dad would go to the park to get out of her hair. I used to like those times with me and Dad. He was happy back then.

I’d had a good time at Maggie’s. I guessed it was a bit like visiting grandparents. I can’t really remember mine. Dad’s mum is in a home somewhere. We used to visit when Mum was alive but not anymore. I get a birthday card and twenty pounds from Nan and Granddad, my mum’s parents, but otherwise we don’t keep in touch. Dad doesn’t like to talk about them. I think there’s some beef there.

I hoped I’d been of use to Maggie so she’d invite me again. It was good having things to do and her cooking was ace. And I liked the idea of me being useful – it was a new concept. Most of the time I feel like a waste of space – like I’m something else draining Dad of money. Maggie’d even sent me off with most of the lemon drizzle cake, four fresh eggs and half a bag of cucumbers. I’d refused the cauliflowers because I had no idea what to do with those and I knew Dad wouldn’t know either.