She won’t tell you!

It’s a moment before Emma answers, in a tiny, constricted voice. ‘Nothing. Doesn’t matter.’

‘Are you kidding?’ You spin her around so you can look her in the eyes – but Emma’s staring at the floor, and you’re starting to get seriously worried. ‘Em, come on. Talk to me.’

Emma takes a deep breath, and you see her shoulders tremble. ‘Nothing, it’s just…’ She suddenly sounds as though she’s about to cry. ‘Nothing. I’m sorry.’

You resist the temptation to roll your eyes, instead pulling her back into a tight, warm hug. ‘Yeah, okay, it’s nothing. Come here, sweetheart.’

It feels like a very long time before Emma pulls away from you enough to whisper, ‘there. Behind you. Over by the ice cream.’

And a heavy weight drops into your stomach as you turn, because you already know what you’re going to see.