Sam had crept into bed beside her at some point during the night and was still fast asleep. Lilly pushed his hair from his face and kissed his warm cheek, breathing in the delicious smell of her son.She crept downstairs to fill the kettle and gazed out of the kitchen window while she waited for it to boil. The temperature had risen overnight but the air was still fresh at this early hour.She sipped her coffee and watched the garden come to life.Manor Park had an assessment day and Lilly had booked the day off work to spend with her son. There was nothing she could do for Kelsey since the prison would not let her visit without twenty-four hours’ notice and the Crown Court’s lists were full. All in all, she was reassuringly impotent.Sam appeared silently in the doorway and rubbed his eyes. ‘Can I have hot chocolate?’‘Yep,’ said Lilly.‘With squirty cream?’‘Yep.’‘And coco sprinkles?’‘With M&Ms, extra fudge sauce and a bag of crisps if you like, big man.’The pair spent the morning playing football in their pyjamas, and when it got too hot they made strawberry ice cream and ate the lot straight from the freezer box.Sam pointed to the fresh dressing on Lilly’s throat.
