‘It was a seminal conversation!’ cried Minnie, jumping up and down. How could Leila not remember? She’d been so impassioned about it.

‘You are kidding me?’ said Fleur, glaring at Minnie with her hands on her hips.

Then there were whoops of delight from the crowd as Leila jumped into Ian’s arms and they both collapsed into a heap on the picnic blanket. As they started rolling around kissing, everyone cheered. Minnie smiled – even if Leila didn’t remember, she looked happy. Her friend was engaged to the man she loved, and now even Fleur had a tear in her eye.

Minnie’s tail started to vibrate. She turned around, patting herself down; she’d tucked her phone into one of the scales. She backed away from the group, using the phone as an excuse to get away from any more interrogation by Fleur.

‘Mum?’

‘Minnie,’ her mother was panting, breathless on the other end. ‘Something’s happened, I don’t know what to do.’

‘Is Dad OK? Where are you?’ said Minnie, holding a finger to her ear and walking away from the group so she could hear what her mother was saying.

‘I’m with Tara Hamilton at her house in Primrose Hill.’ Why would she be with Tara? ‘She had this turn, said she was having a heart attack and started hyperventilating – I think she’s having a panic attack. I thought I should call an ambulance just in case, but she screamed at me not to. She’s asking for Quinn, but I can’t find her phone. Do you have his number?’

Minnie couldn’t understand why her mother would be at Tara’s house. After all these months had she finally decided to meet her and hear Tara’s side of the story?

‘She suffers from severe anxiety – it probably is a panic attack. I’ll come, I’m not far, I’ll call Quinn on the way.’

Minnie turned to shout, ‘I’ve got to go!’ to the others, then hitched up her tail and started running towards the nearest road. She flagged down a cab on Bayswater Road and told the driver to hurry. In the car she called Quinn. He picked up straight away.

‘Minnie.’ He said it in a way that sounded almost affectionate, which was strange given how they had left things and that they hadn’t spoken in a month.

‘I think your mum’s had a panic attack,’ Minnie said briskly. ‘My mum’s at her house, she called me, said she was hyperventilating. She thought she might be having a heart attack.’

Quinn was silent on the other end of the line. Minnie listened to the sound of her own laboured breathing, the result of running through the park.

‘I’ll head over there now. Thanks for letting me know, Minnie.’ Quinn’s voice sounded hoarse.

‘I’m in a cab, I’m going to be there in a minute.’

13 June 2020