‘All right. Don’t forget to drink your water bottle through the afternoon, okay? I won’t even tell you off if you need the toilet a hundred times.’

Freddie giggled and headed inside. A few minutes later, after checking her watch, Bella blew the whistle for the children to line up. She hoped Freddie wasn’t coming down with something. An uneasy feeling nestled in the back of her mind. Should she ask Nina to speak to him? Maybe she could knock next door and speak to Nick. Perhaps she’d mention it all to Evan tonight. He was a brilliant sounding board and always helped her talk things through when she couldn’t get her head around them. He’d help her decide on the best course of action.

The end of the day arrived rapidly, the afternoon flying by with talk of the Christmas play and everyone discussing their roles. Soon she’d be at home in her lovely warm cottage with the log fire burning. It was Evan’s turn to cook tonight, and she couldn’t wait to walk into the homely golden glow from the inglenook and smell the divine aromas emanating from the kitchen.

She let the children go for the final time that week, grateful for the weekend before her.

‘Miss Moore? Miss Moore?’ Bella checked where the voice was coming from to see Leonie’s mum walking towards her. ‘I was hoping to have a word with you.’

Concern balled in Bella’s stomach. Mrs Barnes glanced towards the playground and Bella followed her gaze to see Leonie had gone off to play on the climbing frame. ‘Of course. What’s the problem?’

‘It’s about the play.’ Mrs Barnes tucked her windswept hair behind her ear and sighed. ‘We just can’t afford a costume. Kurt lost his job last month and he’s been looking every day but hasn’t found anything yet. I don’t even know how we’re going to afford Christmas. I normally save all year round, but we had to get the car fixed so he could go to a job interview and that took everything we had. He didn’t even get the job and now we’re broke. Is there anything the school can do? Can they change her part so she’s a narrator and can wear her own clothes? That would be a bit better.’

‘She’s a tiger, isn’t she?’

Mrs Barnes nodded. ‘What’s all that about by the way? I didn’t think there were many of those in the nativity.’

‘Mrs Brody’s written us a pantomime. She wants it to be fun and inclusive so some of the parts are a little unusual.’