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Now the show was saved, I had a little more time on my paws. I was still busy with rehearsals and keeping my humans in check, but with the dress rehearsal looming we were all very pumped. The Christmas tree now even had a few presents around it, advent calendars– including one full of cat treats for George and I – were being opened now, and everyone was fully embracing Christmas. It even smelt like Christmas. That might have been because Claire decided to try to make a Christmas cake, and let’s just say … it didn’t go well. She was not the best baker and even Pickles turned his nose up at the scraps, which was saying something.

Snowball and I were going back to Harold’s when George found us.

‘I am so fed up,’ George huffed.

‘Why?’ I asked.

‘Hana isn’t right but she won’t admit it. She’s tired, and eating all the time, and though I’m not one to comment on her weight, she has definitely put on some pounds.’

‘George, it’s because of Theo, I know these things,’ I said, remembering how tired we all were when Summer was a baby, and how when I’m tired I eat more. And exercise less. It wasn’t rocket science.

‘We always eat more when we’re tired, George,’ Snowball said, echoing my thoughts. ‘Look, get the show over and if she still doesn’t seem to be getting better we’ll think of something, but as soon as Theo starts sleeping she’ll be back to her perky self, I’m sure.’

‘I am trying to be patient but I got cross today because she was too tired to go for a walk. I can’t remember the last time we went out together, apart from rehearsals, and I snapped and she snapped back, which she never does.’

‘Hey son, give her a bit of space and then check her later. We’re going to Harold’s so why don’t you come with us, he’ll be pleased to see you.’

‘At least someone will be,’ George grumbled. I understood. Young love was hard and true love was hard. I’m pretty much an expert on both.

We were braver now when we approached Barbara’s flat and though we usually just walked past, today, we stopped. Because sitting on the doorstep was Barbara, head in her hands.

‘Should we see if she’s OK?’ I asked.

‘What, and get chased or worse?’ George asked, still in a bad mood.

‘Alfie, you go and see. Just stand a bit of a safe distance away from her,’ Snowball said, pushing me with her paw. I thought about it for a minute but then I moved, tentatively, towards her. I stopped a few paces away, and she looked up. I felt a little nervous, but I stood my ground. I could see her face was wet with tears, and she really did look distraught.

‘Meow?’ I said carefully.

‘Oh goodness, it’s no good, it’s really no good.’ She started crying again. Her body was wracked with sobs and I felt bad for her. This wasn’t an act, I was pretty sure. I returned to the others.

‘I think she’s really upset,’ I said.

‘What do we do?’ Snowball asked.

‘I think we should get one of the humans,’ I suggested. We never, ever turned our backs on someone in need, no matter what they’d done.

‘Let’s get Harold,’ George suggested. He was the closest, and if he couldn’t handle it he could call someone who could.

We trotted quickly to Harold’s and let ourselves in. He was in his chair.

‘Oh there you are, I was wondering,’ he said when he spotted Snowball. She started mewing at him and pawing at his legs, as per my instruction.

‘Mew, mew, mew,’ she said.

‘What is it?’ he asked. The three of us went to the front door. ‘What on earth?’

But he put on his coat and picked up his walking stick. He opened the door and we burst out in the direction of Barbara’s flat.

We slowed down, realising that Harold was a bit slower than us and he was muttering about having to come out in the cold– he didn’t like to go out unless he had to. We finally reached Barbara, who was still on the doorstep. Harold looked at the three of us, his face slightly red from the cold.

‘Um, hello,’ he said. She looked up; her eyes were very red and she had clearly been crying quite hard all this time.

‘H-hello,’ she stuttered.

‘Hey, you’ll catch your death out here, why don’t you come to my house, where I can make a cuppa and you can tell me what’s wrong?’

‘But I’m the woman who ruined the show, or at least tried to,’ she said.

‘To me, you look like someone who is very sad, and that means you come to mine, I’m not going to take no for an answer.’

Barbara resisted for a bit longer but then she stood up and followed him, trying to stop her tears. The three of us followed. I wasn’t sure if we were all going to try and find out what was going on, or to protect Harold in case she was still a little unhinged. Probably a combination of both.

When we reached Harold’s living room, he gestured to his chair.

‘Go and sit by the fire and warm yourself up,’ he said. Goodness, Harold had softened in the last few years since we first met him.

‘Thank you,’ Barbara mumbled.

‘I’ll go put the kettle on. Tea OK for you?’ he asked. She nodded and started crying again.