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“I remember.”

“We were cleaning it all up and we kept saying to each other, ‘When they get older, it’ll get easier.’ Remember?”

“I do.” Dad looks fondly at her.

“Well, bring back the poo.” Mum begins to laugh, a bit hysterically. “I would do anything for a bit of poo right now.”

“I dream of poo,” says Dad firmly, and Mum laughs even more, till she’s wiping tears from her eyes.

And I back away, without making a sound. I’ll get my hot chocolate later.

And so the only piece left in the jigsaw is Linus. But it’s a big piece.

Frank just showed me the footage of Mum laying into Linus in the sitting room and I stared in total disbelief. First, I couldn’t believe Mum could blame Linus for anything, Second, I couldn’t believe he’d only just got my text. Third, I couldn’t believe he’d come over to see me.

So he hadn’t given up on me. He didn’t hate me. I hadn’t spoiled everything. I’d been wrong on pretty much everything. As I watched it for the second time I felt pretty sheepish, and I could tell Mum felt even worse.

“I don’t sound like that,” she kept saying in horror. “I didn’t say that. Did I?”

“You totally sound like that,” said Frank. “You sound worse, actually. The camera was flattering.”

He was rubbing it in. She doesn’t sound quite as shrill as that in real life.

“So, I need to apologise to Linus.” She sighs.

“So do I,” I say quickly.

“So do I,” says Frank glumly.

“What?” Mum and I swivel to look at him.

“We had a fight. About LOC. He was talking about the tournament and I got…well, jealous, I suppose.”

Frank looks like an overgrown schoolboy. He’s got ink on his hands and is staring miserably at his knees. He doesn’t know about the laptop yet, and I would love to whisper it in his ear to cheer him up, but I’ve had enough of going behind my parents’ backs. For now.

“So.” Mum is back into her brisk mode again. “We all need to apologise to Linus.”

“Mum, that’s all very well,” I say in a flat tone. “But it’s too late. Linus’s parents are emigrating. He’s at the airport right now. We’ve missed our chance.”

“What?” Mum looks up as though scalded.