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‘Do you like it, Mum?’ She met her eyes in the mirror.

‘I think you look like a princess. But it’s not me who matters. Do you like it?’

‘I love it!’ Summer twirled some more. ‘It’s so pretty.’

The shop assistant, Molly, watched her, hands on her hips. ‘I don’t think you look like a princess. Not just yet.’ She picked up a box from the side. ‘Everyone knows princesses have crowns.’

Evelyn bit back a smile as Summer held her breath, trying to hold back her excitement.

‘Will you stand still, and close your eyes?’ Molly opened the box, but kept it angled away from Summer, letting Evelyn sneak a glance. She winked at her.

‘Close your eyes, Summer.’ Evelyn found she was holding her breath as much as her daughter as Molly lowered the tiara into Summer’s golden curls.

Molly tweaked the dress, making sure the belt was straight and the skirt fell perfectly to Summer’s ankles. ‘OK, you can open your eyes.’

‘Wowowowowowow! Mum, look! I really am a princess!’

‘You always have been.’ Evelyn rested her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and watched Summer admire herself in the mirror.

‘Yeah, but now I look like a princess, instead of just a cancer kid.’

Evelyn gulped, not quite knowing what to say to that, so instead concentrated on fiddling with Summer’s curls and tucking them perfectly into the tiara band. ‘You look beautiful, sweetheart.’

Her hands shook as she stroked Summer’s rapidly growing, silken hair. A few weeks ago she’d given up hope of ever seeing her baby grow up, and now as she stood in a boutique watching her dress in lace, she got a glimpse of a future: maybe, God willing, they would pull this off, raise the money needed, and the treatment would work. And maybe in fifteen or twenty years’ time, they’d be in a similar store while she watched Summer pick another lace dress, only that one would be expensive, white, and chosen for the love of her life.

She turned to Molly. ‘I can’t thank you enough for this.’

Molly nodded, and Evelyn realised her eyes were glassy too. ‘We’re happy to help. You look beautiful, Summer. And we’ll all be cheering you on in the parade.’

‘You made me look like a proper princess! Thank you so, so much.’

Evelyn turned to Summer. ‘We need to get going home.’

‘OK.’ Summer had one last, longing look in the mirror before heading back to the dressing room.’

‘Wait a second,’ Molly called after her. ‘I’ll come help to make sure you don’t scratch yourself on any of the pins. I’ll make sure it’s ready by next weekend,’ she promised Evelyn before following Summer.

The next morning Jake was nursing his first coffee of the day and still trying to wake up, but even half asleep he was buzzing with excitement. He’d been up far too late fussing over his last-minute plans for his own fundraising efforts.

He’d been inspired when he’d seen other people arranging sponsored events, like the postman who was aiming to run a hundred miles in the week leading up to the fete in addition to his usual delivery routes, and decided he had to get involved. But he’d kept it secret from Evelyn and Summer, partly because he wanted to surprise them, and partly because he worried about how successful his idea was going to be, especially because it meant trying to get people up and out their homes relatively early on a Sunday morning!

But he needn’t have worried: his patients had more than stepped up, and it was looking like he was going to blast through his initial fundraising target. He checked the time, and headed to the bathroom to get ready. His patients – and their owners – would start arriving in no time.

He was barely dressed before he heard excited yapping from dozens of dogs in his car park. He peered out the window and grinned widely. ‘Hi, I’ll be right down.’ He grabbed the boxes from where he’d left them last night, and balanced them as he locked up. He deposited them at his brother’s feet. Callum was standing holding the leash of their parents’ elderly Labrador in one hand, and his daughter’s hand in the other.

Jake knelt to pet Sooty, and gave his niece a brief hug, promising to see her later. ‘Thanks for this, Cal. Just give it a few more minutes for everyone else to arrive, and I’ll meet Summer and Evelyn. Make sure everyone has a bag from the top box – they’re poop bags, just in case – and those who want it can take whatever from the bigger box.’

‘Got it’—he leaned forward—‘and Mum and her crew are already at the church hall.’

‘Brilliant.’ Jake raised his voice and waved to his patients and friends. ‘Thank you, everyone, for coming – and for all your hard work so far. We’ve already raised loads, and I’m sure we’ll raise even more. I’ll see you all in a bit – I’ve just got to fetch our unsuspecting guests of honour!’ With that, he grabbed a bundle from each of the boxes, and jogged out of the car park.

A few minutes later he was stood in Linda’s hall, waiting for Summer and Evelyn to finish getting ready while Tilly jumped around him excitedly.

‘Are you nearly ready?’ He tried to keep the tension out of his voice, but he really, really wanted to get the timing right for the best effect.

‘I’m tired. It’s too early,’ Summer complained.

‘I know it’s early, but it’s getting so hot that we have to walk Tilly early,’ Evelyn replied. ‘And then we’re going to have a lovely breakfast at the café.’