‘Have you made friends?’ Alan asked. Her happiness was always more important to him than her academic success.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’ve made some really good friends actually. We’re already talking about renting a house together next year.’

‘Good.’ Alan nodded with satisfaction.

‘There is something else,’ she said tentatively.

‘Go on.’

‘I’ve met someone. A boy. It’s quite serious.’

‘Good for you,’ Sophie said. ‘That’s lovely news.’

‘The thing is, it’s someone that you know. Or at least used to know.’

She could tell that her mum understood immediately. Her dad seemed confused.

‘It’s Freddy Taylor.’

They both stared at her. She watched as Sophie carefully put down her tea, as if worried that she might spill it otherwise. Alan paled.

‘I’m sorry, Dad, I know you told me to stay away from him and I really did try I promise, but something happened between us. I can’t explain it, but I just couldn’t keep away.’

‘How many students are there in Oxford?’ he asked.

She was thrown by his question. ‘Sorry?’

‘How many students are there in Oxford?’

‘I don’t know, twenty thousand?’

‘Twenty thousand kids and you choose to go out with this one?’ He was incredulous.

‘Alan,’ Sophie said quietly, but he ignored her.

‘Are you honestly telling me, Katie, that of all the boys in Oxford, this is the one you want?’

‘Yes,’ she said, not looking him in the eye.

‘And you’ve got no problem with the effect this will have on your mother?’

‘Alan…’ Sophie said again, but he wasn’t listening.

‘You’ve known this boy what, a few weeks? Hardly long enough for it to be serious. You need to call it off right now, Katie, do you hear me?’

‘But, Dad, I love him!’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, you hardly know him.’

He had never spoken to her like this before. ‘I do know him, Dad, and he’s a good person. A really good person. What happened in the past is not his fault and it’s not mine either.’

‘So, it’s all my fault, is it?’

‘Well, yes it is!’ Katie’s anger was rising to match her father’s now.

‘Oh I get it, three months at Oxford and you’re a know-it-all now I see.’

‘Alan!’ Sophie stood up now. ‘Enough.’

He was silenced immediately. He looked up at Sophie and Katie saw a flash of pain cross his face. ‘I’m so sorry, love, I’m so sorry this has all come up again.’

‘I know you are.’ Sophie sat down next to him and took his hand. ‘But this is not Katie’s fault. And it’s not the boy’s either.’

‘But I just don’t understand it,’ he said. ‘There are so many people in the world. What on earth conspired to bring these two together?’

Sophie shrugged. ‘Fate?’

Katie watched the exchange. It was as if they’d forgotten she was even in the room. Then Alan turned to her. ‘I’m sorry, Katie, I didn’t mean to have a go.’

‘I know.’

‘It was just such a shock. Your mum and I, we worked so hard to move on from that time and the thought of it coming back into our lives now is a lot to handle.’