Page 45 of The Summer That Changed Us

‘Not at all, he was charming and very sweet.’ Now it was Katie’s turn to feel embarrassed. She concentrated on gathering up the electric flex to hide her face and watched surreptitiously as Amber wandered around the shop, fingering the price tags.

‘Bras are so expensive!’ Amber whistled under her breath. She hefted her rucksack higher up on her shoulder and knocked half a dozen high-leg briefs off the rack behind her. ‘Oops, sorry.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Katie went to her aid and together they popped the knickers back on the rail. ‘Happens all the time. And that bra is very special.’

Amber looked at the dove grey bra dubiously.

‘Ok-ay,’ she said. She didn’t add ‘if you say so’ but it was evident from her tone.

Katie told her that the bra was made in an all-female factory in London from responsibly sourced materials and that the company had a zero-waste policy. Amber looked almost impressed before folding her arms across her school blazer.

‘So unfair though. Women have to spend so much extra on their bodies compared to men. And all the fuss made over breasts, seriously? They are literally just glands, designed to feed babies. What’s special about that?’

Katie smiled to herself; she remembered saying something similar at her age.

‘Well, just glands or not, they are what make us mammals. And human mammary glands are different from every other species because ours are the only permanent ones. Other mammals’ glands disappear when they’ve finished feeding their offspring. I think that’s kind of special.’

Amber pulled a face. ‘Never knew that.’

‘I’m full of useless information when it comes to bras,’ Katie said with a grin. ‘For instance, did you know that the first-ever bra was made out of recycled handkerchiefs?’

‘No way.’ Amber sat down on Auntie Jean’s velvet chair.

‘Have you ever heard the expression “necessity is the mother of invention”?’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘No, but it sounds like something my dad would say.’

Katie laughed. ‘Well, there was a woman who was bigger than average up top. She was going to some big posh do and her corset kept popping up and ruining the look of her new dress. So, she got two old hankies and a piece of ribbon and cobbled together a bra.’

‘That’s really cool.’ Amber played with her ponytail and looked thoughtful. ‘I could probably make one.’

‘You could, I suppose.’ Katie could just imagine the confusion on her father’s face when his handkerchiefs started disappearing and then reappearing in the laundry basket stitched to a ribbon. ‘But bras have improved since then. Now they protect and support breast tissue, not just cover it up for modesty purposes. Especially while they’re still developing.’

Amber gave her a lopsided smile. ‘I hope I am still developing; the size of my boobs is currently tragic.’

‘If I had a pound for everyone who wasn’t happy with their size, I’d be a rich woman,’ Katie admitted. ‘So, were the ones your dad brought home for you any good?’

Amber pulled a crushed Auntie Small’s bag out of her school rucksack.

‘They’re OK, but I’m not sure if they fit me properly.’ Her shoulders sagged and she looked small and young all of a sudden. ‘And I’m a bit worried about how much they cost. My mum was a bargain hunter. On Black Friday she used to get up really early and order a year’s worth of underwear from Victoria’s Secret. I don’t know what she’d think about Dad blowing the budget on all this lot.’

Amber took the bras out of the bag and put them in her lap. Katie was disappointed; it looked as if she’d brought them all back.

‘Buying in the sale is a very sensible strategy,’ said Katie. ‘I’m sure you could do that in the future when you’re sure of your size. I did suggest to your dad that he take a trip to the supermarket if he wanted to spend less, but … ’ she hesitated, but then found that she wanted Amber to know just how much thought Barney had put into this. ‘Your dad said it was something your mum would have made into a fun shopping trip and so he wanted your first bras to be extra special.’

‘True, she would.’ Amber bowed her head.

Katie took the bras from her lap, unsure whether Amber was keeping her eyes downcast because she was remembering her mum, or she simply felt uncomfortable. She crossed to the door and flipped the sign to closed. ‘Shall we check the fit of these?’

‘Cool.’ Amber stood up and headed to one of the changing cubicles.

‘Can I get you a drink of anything?’ Katie asked. ‘Coffee or herbal tea?’

‘Got any champagne?’

Katie laughed. ‘Nice try. But I don’t think you dad meant that special.’

‘Worth a shot,’ Amber said from behind the curtain.