They had been discussing going home for Christmas and Katie had finally spoken the words that had been on her mind since they first got together.

‘Are we going to tell our parents?’ she asked, as they had a pint together after lectures.

‘I don’t see why we should.’

His dismissiveness irked her. Does our relationship not mean enough to you to bother telling your parents? Is this just a bit of fun for you, while for me it is my whole, entire world?

He saw her expression and looked confused. ‘Have I said something wrong?’

‘I just wonder why you don’t think we should tell them?’

‘I don’t think it’s any of their business.’

‘Are you ashamed of me?’

‘Of course I’m not ashamed of you. Where’s this come from?’

She wanted to tell him the truth but she was twisting herself into knots, getting herself into a pickle for no reason. ‘Well we spend all our time together but how often do we go out with your friends? And you won’t even tell your parents about me?’

‘How often do we go out with your friends?’ he asked. ‘Hardly ever. I thought you liked spending time just the two of us. I’ve got no problem taking you out with my mates if that’s what you want, Katie.’

He had called her Katie, not Brennan, which meant that he was annoyed with her. She was furious with herself for causing conflict that didn’t need to be there, but she was on a roll now.

‘So you’re just going to go home for Christmas, return to your old life, act like nothing has happened, perhaps hook up with your old girlfriend from school and forget all about us?’

‘For God’s sake, Katie, stop being unreasonable. I never said that.’

‘So what did you mean?’

Freddy was looking exasperated. ‘I just mean that my family are a bunch of nosy arseholes and if I want to keep this to myself, why shouldn’t I?’

‘And it’s not because you’re worried about how they’ll react?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘Oh yes, I forget, you have such a modern, accepting family, they’d probably slap you on the back and congratulate you on your conquest.’

‘Jesus, Katie.’

They glowered at each other for a minute until finally his expression softened. ‘Okay, so I get what this is about now.’

‘What’s that?’ She sounded petulant but she didn’t care.

‘You want to tell your parents but you’re scared about how they’ll react and you’re worried that I’m not going to tell mine because I don’t think this is serious enough.’

He had her there. ‘Are you sure you’re not studying psychology, Dr Taylor?’

He smiled, relieved for the break in tension. ‘Talk to me.’

Her anger slowly ebbed away. She looked down at her drink and then back up at him. He sat, patiently, waiting for her. ‘You’re right on both counts,’ she said at last.

‘Well firstly, if you want to tell your parents, you absolutely should. And secondly, if you think that I’m ashamed of you, or that I’m not serious about you, then you don’t know me as well as you think you do. I love you, more than I’ve ever loved anyone.’