Freddie threw his backpack onto the sofa and took off his coat, hanging it on the newel post. He was just about to dash up and get changed when Nick called after him, ‘Hang on, son. Come and sit down a minute. Want to tell me about this bump today?’

On the short walk home, Nick had been wondering whether to probe more deeply or leave it all alone. Freddie had seemed somewhat subdued, staring at his feet as he trudged alongside Nick, hand in hand. Though being a parent, especially a single one, was challenging at the best of times, those rare moments of calm when they were walking home from school, Freddie’s small hand in his, made it all worthwhile. The world and its problems shrank away as Freddie talked about the good handwriting he’d done in English, or the tasks he’d completed in maths. Normally it all came out in a tumble and Nick would often struggle to keep up, trying to place the events Freddie described in the right order. Freddie’s mind darted here, there and everywhere as one thought sprang another. Tonight though, Nick had to ask all the questions as Freddie barely spoke. It wasn’t like him, and Nick wondered if he had a headache from his fall.

Freddie climbed back down the few stairs and flopped on the sofa. Nick sat down next to him, gently brushing his son’s hair back from his forehead. ‘Want to tell me what happened?’

‘It’s Amias. He’s just not very nice.’

‘Why isn’t he nice?’

‘He’s always being horrible to me.’

Nick felt his muscles stiffen, wanting to protect his son, but he kept his voice calm and reassuring. ‘How?’

‘He says mean things and he’s really annoying.’

How to deal with this? Was making a big deal out of it and getting angry on his behalf going to do any good? He glanced at his gorgeous boy with the long dark eyelashes. As it was the first he’d heard of it, perhaps playing it down was the best option. Miss Radcliffe had said it was an accident and he trusted her to make a good decision. Although she wasn’t as experienced as Bella, she was like her in many ways: calm, kind and sensible. He’d never realised before how pretty Bella’s eyes lit with emotion. They were a gorgeous green-blue like the sea glass he’d collected as a child on holidays to the coast. When she’d looked up from her desk, surprised to see him, they’d widened and he’d seen the full brilliance of their colour. He nudged the thought away.