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‘She’s with Jake. He’s just behind me.’ Evelyn knelt down. ‘Now remember, Tilly has had a very bad day. She’s still feeling really poorly, and it’s very, very important that she rests a lot.’

‘I know that.’ Summer rolled her eyes. ‘Nanny said it’s like when I got my glow in the dark beads. She needs to get lots of sleep and stay still and not tire herself so the medicine can work and her body can heal.’

‘I know you know that darling, but I’m not sure if Tilly does.’

‘That’s OK, I’ll tell her.’ She bounced with excitement. ‘I’m so glad she’s coming home!’ She wrapped her arms around Evelyn’s waist.

‘Me too, sweetheart.’ She ran her hand over Summer’s head, tousling what had regrown of her hair so far, and enjoying the feeling of it between her fingers. ‘Where’s your Nan?’

‘Upstairs. She’s making the cage that isn’t a cage.’

Evelyn nodded. It made sense to her.

‘I’d knock, but my hands are full.’ Jake stood at the doorway, Tilly wrapped in a blanket and snuggled against his chest. For a moment, Evelyn had the strangest feeling of envying the little dog.

‘Tilly!’ Summer ran to greet them, stopping just short of throwing herself at Jake, and gently petted her dog, before kissing her on the nose. ‘You have to be very good, and stay still, and get lots of rest, and do as you’re told to make sure you get better. And you really, really have to stay still because you’ve got an IV line. That’s right, isn’t it, Jake?’

Evelyn could see Jake’s eyes widen in surprise at a child understanding what that meant, but to Summer he just nodded. ‘That’s right. But not for too long.’

‘Good.’ Summer smiled and turned her attention back to Tilly. ‘After tea, Nanny said we can watch TV. I’ll look after you and sit with you to make sure you don’t get lonely and sad and we can watch cartoons.’ She looked up at Jake. ‘She can watch cartoons, can’t she?’

Jake nodded, hiding a grin. ‘Yeah, cartoons should be fine.’

Summer kissed Tilly’s nose again. ‘See? It will be like when I come home from hospital, except you can pick the cartoon, and you probably can’t have tomato soup and melty cheese.’

‘No,’ Jake agreed. ‘No melty cheese. But if she’s hungry, you could try something light and simple, like scrambled egg.’

‘OK. I’ll get Tilly’s teddy from my room, and ask Nanny to make some egg.’ She ran up the stairs.

‘Where shall I put her?’ Jake still held Tilly close.

‘Probably her basket in the kitchen is best. We’ll be out there, and I can pick up her whole bed to move her if I need to later.’

‘Lead the way.’ Jake followed her down the corridor. ‘So, when you said Tilly is Summer’s best friend …’

‘No, I wasn’t exaggerating.’ Evelyn sighed, knowing what it was Jake was trying to ask without saying the actual words. ‘The hair, right? Please don’t mention it. It’s growing back, but she’s still self-conscious about it sometimes, and really hates wearing hats and wigs all the time.’

‘I won’t, I promise.’ Jake’s eyes were sincere. ‘But actually, it was the IV line comment.’

‘Yeah. Not too many kids know what that means.’

‘So should I ask, or pretend not to have noticed? Whatever makes things easier for you.’

Evelyn was touched by the sentiment. It had been far too long since someone had thought about what made things easier for her, and she found herself wanting to share more with Jake because of it. ‘I don’t mind you asking. It’s nice that you want to know.’ She took a deep breath. Even after the years of fighting it, all the doctors, nurses, teachers and everyone else she’d told, it wasn’t easy to say the word. ‘It’s cancer. Specifically neuroblastoma.’

‘Oh.’ Jake stooped to lower Tilly into the basket in the corner of the room. He pulled a medicine bag out of his backpack, and produced a hydration pack which he reconnected to Tilly’s line, and tucked into the bookcase above her, all the time soothing and telling her what a good girl she was. ‘So long as she’s happy and still, we might as well keep her hydrated, but she really needs to stay still. Can we block her in somehow?’

‘Mum’s sorting something upstairs. For now, she’ll stay put as long as there’s someone with her.’

‘OK.’ Jake sat down next to the little dog.

‘I didn’t mean you should sit on the floor.’ She was shocked.

‘I’m a vet. I’m used to getting down on my hands and knees for my patients. At least your floor is clean.’ He laughed. ‘Barns usually aren’t.’

‘Fair enough.’ Evelyn sat down at a right angle to him, using her legs to block Tilly inside the square their legs now made.

His feet nudged against hers as he shifted, and Evelyn realised he’d kicked his shoes off at some point, and was touched by the gesture of respect to her family and their home.