“Didn’t you hear what the doctor said today?” she insisted as she continued stirring the contents of the pot she was standing over.

“Mum,” Colette challenged, but her mother ignored her entirely.

“Set your stuff down. How was your walk?” she asked as she carried on about her business while Colette stood there, dumbfounded as always at her mother’s determination.

When Emmett left, Miriam had wished her former husband well and then refocused her energy on the rest of her family. Colette’s younger sister, Noelle, was about to leave for university and had almost deferred her entry, but Miriam wouldn’t hear of it.

By then, Colette had completed her own time at University of Essex. She missed her sister and she missed college life and her old friends.

Instead she’d stepped into the kind of responsibility she’d never imagined, especially after her father relinquished his share in the bakery, leaving the running of the business entirely up to her.

Miriam had arranged for someone to take over the bookkeeping and day-to-day administration, while Colette baked and worked on recipes with her mother’s guidance, keeping things going when her mother no longer had the strength to stay involved.

Yesterday Miriam wouldn’t have dared challenge her about housework, but today was different. Earlier, incredible news had been delivered by the oncologist. Her cancer was in remission.

Colette could hardly believe it. After four long years of relentless treatment, her mother had finally overcome the disease.

Even though they both could see Miriam looked much better than she had in years, Colette felt running the household was still her responsibility and one she took pride in.

But since today’s news, her mother was apparently ready to dive right back into her life, starting with making dinner.

She slipped out of her jacket and hung it on a hook by the door. “It was good,” she answered with a smile as she inspected the ends of her hair. “I went to the beach.”

She twirled the large waves that had wound into curls at the end around her finger distractedly as she took a seat at the heavy wooden kitchen table. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d just sat there and did nothing. It was weird.

“Why don’t you go get changed into your pj’s?” Miriam suggested as she glanced over her shoulder at her.

“Pj’s? Mum, it’s only dinnertime,” she answered incredulously.

“Tonight you will do what I say,” her mother insisted with a smile. “Go get changed, have a shower or a long bath, even, eat the lovely dinner I’ve prepared, then settle yourself on the couch to watch a movie and eat popcorn with me.”