Page 63 of The Summer That Changed Us

Barney grinned. ‘I honestly think I should recruit our post lady as a news reporter – she misses nothing. Yes, we’re renting, which is a shame because I’d love to rip the bathroom out, swap the green suite for a new white one and put in a big power shower.’

A fleeting image of Barney entered her mind: naked behind a steamy glass shower screen, head thrown back and eyes closed, rivulets of hot water running down his body.

‘I told Dad about the girl at school. In the toilets.’ Amber helped herself to more baba ganoush.

‘I’m pleased,’ Katie said. ‘You did a good thing there.’

‘You’re a star, darling.’ Barney watched his daughter with quiet pride. ‘Tell Katie what happened the next day.’

‘Well, I took all the stuff you and I bought into school and asked to see the head teacher, Mrs Hallam.’ A faint blush coloured Amber’s cheeks.

‘Good for you!’ said Katie.

‘I told her that I thought it was really bad that some girls missed school because of their periods,’ she continued. ‘And she said she totally agreed. I told her what had happened in the toilets without naming names; she listened to me and said that she’d make sure that all the girls would be told about how to access free products if they needed them. She said it was a good thing that her pupils had a strong sense of social justice.’

Amber went on to explain that she’d done some googling and that ‘period poverty’ was a real problem and that there were already organisations out there that could help schools. So, she’d gone back to Mrs Hallam and now they were expecting a visit from the Red Box charity and Amber was going to be part of it.

‘She’s only been there a month,’ Barney marvelled, shaking his head. ‘She’ll be head girl before the end of term.’

‘Dad!’ Amber groaned. ‘So embarrassing.’

‘I was head girl once,’ said Katie.

‘Wow? Were you really clever?’ Amber looked impressed.

‘Not half as clever as you,’ she replied.

‘You must let me reimburse you for all the stuff you bought for school,’ said Barney. ‘Amber said you insisted on paying.’

Katie shook her head and indicated the glass of wine which Barney had kept topped up. ‘Being wined and dined is payment enough. It gets boring cooking for one. And actually, thanks to Amber, I’ve been thinking about starting some sort of charitable venture myself.’

Amber’s eyes widened. ‘To do with second-hand bras?’

‘Exactly,’ Katie grinned. ‘I’m going to ask my clients to donate any gently worn bras and distribute them to people in poorer areas. What I haven’t worked out is how I can get them to those in need.’

‘I can spread the word at school,’ Amber put in. ‘Some girls might even want to donate. I can ask Mrs Hallam if we can have a special collection day.’

‘Thanks, Amber,’ Katie said, touched by her enthusiasm. ‘I’m going to start small for now and see how I get on. I thought I’d call it Small Things Matter.’

‘I’m going to go and tell Imogen at school,’ said Amber, scrambling to her feet. ‘Her family is absolutely loaded – I bet her mum’s got plenty to get rid of.’

Katie and Barney watched her leave the kitchen and then heard her thump upstairs to her room.

‘She’s adorable,’ said Katie, slightly on edge now the two of them were on their own. She should probably leave soon anyway, give the man some peace.

‘It’s certainly never dull around here,’ he nodded, leaning back in his chair. His fingers twirled the stem of his wine glass. ‘Not that I’d ever change her for the world. When I think about how close I came to losing her too … ’ He shook his head. ‘Did you notice her shins?’

She nodded. Amber had changed into shorts and T-shirt when they got in and Katie had caught a glimpse of long scars down the front of both of her legs.

‘The scars are from the accident,’ Barney told her. ‘She had to be cut out of the front of the car, her legs were trapped in the footwell. She was off school for a long time. I didn’t know what to do for the best: send her back where she’d be faced with kids who didn’t know what to say to her or send her somewhere new where she could start all over again.’ He gave her a rueful smile. ‘In the end, I realised we both had the same dilemma. I didn’t have physical scars, but everyone who knew me knew what had happened. I felt as if I was having to make light of my grief, to make things easier for others.’

‘My friend Grace lost her husband suddenly,’ she said. ‘That’s partly why she moved to Merle Bay too, to get away from the pitying looks.’

‘Grace Byron?’ His eyes flickered with interest.

‘You know her!’ Katie smiled. ‘Small world!’

‘No, I’ve never met her,’ said Barney, ‘but Alice said she’s moved into the big glass house overlooking the bay. I googled her, she’s an amazing architect,’ he looked impressed. ‘She was definitely the brains behind Byron