‘I don’t need you to stay.’

‘But if you did…?’ He left it open. What would he do if his maman said she wanted him to stay? Would he tell Auguste ‘no’?

‘I’m not going to make the decision for you, Oli darling,’ she said softly. ‘It’s your choice.’ She rubbed his arm. ‘I know how hard Auguste can make it for you to make up your own mind. I…I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I think you’ve probably had enough experience of your own to figure that out for yourself now. But I’m not going to step into his shoes and guilt-trip you. You need to make the right decision for yourself, whether I like it or not. You know I can finish the display – it’s only the assembly left. There will be other displays and other Christmases, if you want to go back early to help your papa out.’

Olivier swallowed. Hedidn’twant to go back. That was the thing. He wanted to stay here and finish what he’d started. So, he was caught between where he wanted to be, but wasn’t needed – and where he was needed but didn’t want to go. He appreciated that his maman had been honest with him and that, as always, she would support him in his choice, but he still needed to make his mind up. That was the problem.

It was too soon. He hadn’t had a chance to figure out the best thing to do, whether he could trust himself to make the right decision – he’d just found he had more questions. If he hadn’t watched Pierre riding like an idiot with a death wish on his motorcycle one too many times himself, he would almost have suspected Auguste of making the whole thing up just to get Olivier back under his control.

He’d just wanted a bit more time. He wanted to finish the display he’d put so much work into and to see the outcome of the things he’d learnt from his maman and been inspired by when he was out with his friends and Ashleigh.

Ashleigh.He was going to have to tell her he needed to go back home early, and his insides felt like wet cement at the thought. She was going to walk through the door any minute…

Now.