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‘No promises!’ She waved as he headed out the door.

He was glad she was doing so much better and recovering from her fall. And – as scared as he was to say it to her – he was convinced the chorea shakes the Huntington’s caused her were happening less often. Certainly she seemed to have fewer accidents, but maybe that was because she’d finally started letting people other than him help.

And that, in itself, was a minor miracle. He jammed his helmet onto his head and kicked his bike into gear. He took the longer way into Hudsbury – he had the time and it was good to enjoy the weather. At the crossroads before town, he noticed the for-sale sign on the tiny road to the old Cherry Blossom Inn had disappeared. He half-wondered if it might have blown down in the wind, or if someone had finally bought it.

* * *

Amrita looked up as the doorbell chimed.

‘Would you mind?’ Sylvie asked from her position on the floor. ‘It took me that long to get down here…’

‘Sure,’ Amrita replied and went to the little house’s front door. ‘Jamie! What are you doing here?’

‘Surprising you, apparently.’ He smiled at her and her body flooded with warmth, and she felt something inside her just give – releasing tension she hadn’t even realised she was carrying.

‘Well, it’s a nice one. How are you?’

‘Would it be too cheesy to say better for seeing you?’

Amrita felt her cheeks warm. ‘I’ve told you before that you can pull off cheesy pretty well.’

‘Then there’s my answer. What about yours? How are you?’

‘I’m good, thank you. Are you coming in?’

There was a slightly awkward moment when she stepped back to let him in, neither of them entirely sure as to how they were supposed to greet each other or behave – it had been too long since that first kiss that had changed so much.

After a couple of moments of awkward dance, Amrita settled for a quick kiss to his cheek while his hand rested briefly on her forearm – completely innocently. ‘Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but I thought you were busy with work?’

‘I am.’ He held up a folder. ‘Sylvie insisted I bring over her contracts. I offered to email them, but she insisted she needed hard copies. Today. And that I couldn’t possibly trust them to a courier…’

‘Is that Jamie?’

‘Yes ma’am.’

‘Well, don’t just stand around in the hallway. Come on through. Did you bring my paperwork?’

‘Yes, I did.’ He followed the voice through to the sitting room. ‘Afternoon, Sylvie. Oh, do you need me to come back?’

‘It’s just physio. I don’t mind if you don’t. Although, I suppose it is quite undignified. Maybe you should wait in the kitchen. Make yourself at home – have a drink and help yourself to Aiden’s latest cakes. They’re in the tin on the side.’

‘OK…’

‘And don’t worry about me. I’m going to be busy in here for a while longer.’

‘Thanks, Sylvie.’ He headed into the small kitchen.

‘You might as well join him, Amrita. I know this set of movements perfectly well.’

‘That’s not how these sessions are supposed to work,’ Amrita admonished.

‘Nonsense. I’ll be fine. I’ll call if I need help. Go have a break for a few minutes. You work too hard anyway.’

‘Sylvie—’

‘Go spend a little more time with Jamie. I can’t imagine you’ve had much time together recently.’

‘Um, no. Not much, no.’