The last few weeks felt like an unravelling to Minnie, wool being pulled from her body, stripping her of comfort and leaving her naked. All the ways in which she defined her current life had been removed. Minnie was a chef, she ran a pie company, she lived off the Essex Road, and she dated Greg. Breaking up with Greg felt like stripping off that last piece of identifying clothing.

Handing back the key to her flat had been painful.

‘It’s only temporary,’ Leila had reassured her as she helped move boxes into the hall. ‘You won’t be at your parents’ for ever.’

But Minnie couldn’t see how she was ever going to manage to rent a place on her own again. What with moving house, breaking up with Greg, and the flurry of orders to fill at work, she hadn’t had a chance to plan what she was going to say to Leila about the business. She’d been waiting for inspiration to strike, but it hadn’t struck.

She glanced up at one of the clocks on the wall to see what time it was, but each clock showed a different time. She checked her phone, 11 a.m. She’d been awake half the night, her brain too full; she must have finally dozed off around six. The jostle of thoughts now began again in earnest and she knew she would have no peace until she plucked them out one by one and confined them to a list. She typed a note on her phone.

TO DO:

1)    Apologise to Quinn Hamilton for being horrible cow.

2)    Tell Leila I want to close the business.

3)    Think of excuse – why do I want to close the business?

4)    Help Bev, Alan and Fleur find new jobs.

5)    Secretly plan Leila’s perfect engagement.

6)    Get new job for self.

7)    Find somewhere to live.

8)    Stop being so shit at life.

9)    Buy cat food.

10)  Help Bev resolve existential crisis.

11)  Build bed/Sort out room.