‘You’re not going to say anything, Mum?’

‘I think I’m getting déjà vu,’ she said, reaching for a glass of water.

‘Come on, love, that’s not fair,’ said her dad. ‘She’s not had a business fail before. There might have been other things gone wrong, but it’s not the same.’

Minnie’s mother stared wordlessly at her husband.

‘I think she means you, Dad, your business,’ Minnie said quietly.

‘Oh.’ Once he’d said the word, Dad held his lips locked in an awkward ‘O’ shape, and he lowered the chair slowly back onto all four legs.

‘I said it was a mistake,’ her mum went on, ‘I said it was a disaster waiting to happen. You didn’t even go to college, Minnie, how you supposed to know about money and bookkeeping?’

‘Leila did the books, Mum, and just because I didn’t go to university doesn’t mean I haven’t got a brain for business. It’s all been going fine for the last few years, we’ve worked our arses off, we just hit a … a rough patch.’

‘I said all this to your father. Why will no one ever listen to me?’ her mother said, shaking her head.

‘Look, I know you’re disappointed,’ said Minnie, feeling her voice catch in her throat. ‘I’m disappointed too. You think at thirty I wanted to be broke, unemployed and moving home? You think this is how I planned my life to pan out. Mum?’ She paused. ‘At least I gave it a go.’

‘Your dad gave it a go too. Gambled all our savings on that property he was doing up. Cooper Development Company might have sounded grand, but a fancy name’s not much use to you when the bottom falls out of the market.’

‘Bad luck, wasn’t it. I would have done a great job on that house,’ said her dad wistfully.

‘Some things aren’t worth the risk. You risk, you lose, that’s what I’ve learnt. Best to keep your head down and play the hand you’re dealt.’

Minnie pressed her fingernails into the underside of her chair. She felt the familiar grooves in the wood from where she’d done this before.

‘Well, if you’re coming home, there’s not much room upstairs,’ said her mother flatly. ‘The loft room’s full of all your dad’s clock bits now.’

‘I can clear that out in half a jiffy,’ said her dad, ‘or she could stay in Will’s room?’

‘And what is Will supposed to do when he comes to visit?’ said her mum.

‘He hasn’t been home in two years, Mum,’ said Minnie.

‘Give her a break, Connie. You can stay as long as you need, Minnie Moo. I’ll clear out space in your old room this afternoon,’ said her dad, reaching out to squeeze Minnie’s shoulder.