‘In a few weeks,’ murmured Simone as she finished and put the scissors down and looked back up at him. ‘Anyway, I don’t care. I just want to work in textiles. My friend’s mum works in a clothes shop and said she might be able to get me a job after I leave school.’

‘But don’t you want to study design?’ asked Paul.

‘Yeah, but I don’t see how I’m going to do that without any money. Besides, a shop is a good place to start, understand what customers are looking for… you know…’

Simone tailed off and Paul heard her uncertainty.

‘Well, you just need a handful of exam passes to go to sixth-form college and that doesn’t cost anything. And I can help you if you like…’

Simone looked at him and Paul feigned disinterest by examining a hangnail.

‘Help me? What do you mean?’ replied Simone, curiously.

‘Well, help you with your biology and other classes. You don’t have to get A stars – you just need to pass.’

Simone didn’t reply, and Paul panicked that he’d been too quick to propose his solution.

‘I’ll think about it,’ she replied, but Paul could tell from her smile that it was as good as done.

31

Claire was relieved to see Joshua smile at her as she entered his bedroom. He was reading on his bed. She had knocked on his door before entering, she just hadn’t waited for him to say ‘come in.’ As she placed the freshly ironed laundry on a chair, Claire made a show of straightening the room and aligning the curtains.

‘I’m just reading, Mum,’ said Joshua with a grin, knowing full well she was checking on him. Claire smiled back at him, grateful he was so understanding.

‘I know – I’m just tidying up your room a little,’ replied Claire, determined to keep up the pretence. ‘Are you ready to put up the Christmas tree decorations this afternoon?’

‘Are you going to make hot chocolate?’ bartered Joshua.

‘Of course!’ said Claire.

‘With marshmallows?’

‘Yep.’

‘And cream?’

‘Absolutely.’ It was a family tradition they’d had since Joshua was small. ‘Just give me five minutes to finish up in here.’

Joshua went back to reading his book, not planning on moving until he could smell the hot chocolate. Claire adjusted the chair and picked up a fallen book from his desk. Joshua’s room was always fairly presentable, just another example of the dream-child status that she’d attributed to him all those years ago when he’d first slept through the night at six months. From then onwards, Joshua had slept twelve hours pretty much every night.