Steve had grabbed an umbrella, Andy a saucepan. They weren't great weapons, especially not for a fight with my dad. But Auntie Barbara had beaten him! She stood in the middle of the room, breathing hard, tidying her purple top.

'We're fine now, but thanks so much for coming to protect us.'

Steve and Andy were obviously dying to stay and find out what had been going on, but Auntie Barbara gently but firmly told them Mum needed to rest now. They shuffled back upstairs obediently.

'I think we need a fresh pot of tea,' said Auntie Barbara. She looked at Kendall. He'd wet himself he'd been so scared. 'And you need a change of trousers, Kendall. OK, Lola Rose. I'll do the tea, you do the trousers.'

I looked over at Mum. She had her head buried in her hands. I hesitated.

'Let Mum have a little cry,' said Auntie Barbara.

I took Kendall into the bathroom. He started crying too.

'I'm a baby. I wet myself!'

'No, it's OK, Kendall. I nearly wet myself. It was so scary.'

'That man was Dad, wasn't he?'

'Of course he was.'

'I remembered him different,' said Kendall.

'Yes.'

'He shouted at me.'

'He shouted at everyone.'

'I thought he was going to hurt us. But then Auntie Barbara hurt him!' Kendall wriggled out of his wet trousers and kicked his leg in imitation. He waved his arm, nearly whacking me on the head as I washed him.

'Watch out, Kendall!'

'You watch out, Lola Rose, or I'll go kick-chop-thump like Auntie Barbara.'

'How did she do that?'

I was glad Kendall had seen it too, otherwise I'd have wondered if I'd imagined it. Already Auntie Barbara seemed to fly through the air in my memory, arms and legs whirling, like a martial arts movie.

'Thai martial arts,' said Auntie Barbara, when we asked her. 'I went to see Thai boxing when I was in Thailand. It's amazing. They do it to music and they use so many parts of their bodies as weapons their fists, elbows, knees, shins and feet. When I came back I saw there were some Thai boxing evening classes. I went along just to watch, but I ended up joining in. I'd done some judo before so it wasn't like I was starting completely from scratch.'

'You joined in just like that? You are brave, Auntie Barbara.'

'No I'm not. I used to be scared to say boo to a goose when I was your age.'

Mum sniffled. 'You were Daddy's little darling.'

'Big darling.'

'You're so big you can even beat my dad,' said Kendall.

'Will you really kill him if he comes back?' I asked.

'No! Look, I'm thinking of becoming a Buddhist. They don't believe in killing anything, not even little creepie-crawlies.'

'But you could kill him if you wanted? If he was really really hurting us?'

'I don't know. Maybe.'

'Auntie Barbara, can you stay with us for a bit, please? Just in case Dad comes back?'

Auntie Barbara looked at Mum. 'I don't think your mum wants me to stay,' she said. 'But she hasn't got much choice. It looks like you're stuck with me.'

Mum cried and cried. I couldn't work out why. Auntie Barbara had rescued us! Mum didn't still want Dad back, did she? She'd been just as scared as we were.

I asked Auntie Barbara.

'I expect she's just worn out with everything, pet,' she said.

'She is better, isn't she? They did get all the tumour out?'

'Yes, I think so. But she might have to have some treatment.'

'What treatment?'

'Let's just wait and see, shall we?' said Auntie Barbara.

'But she is going to be all right, isn't she?'

'I hope so, darling.'

'You promise?'

Auntie Barbara wavered. 'I wish I could promise you that, Lola Rose,' she said.

Mum seemed fine the next day. When Kendall and I came home from school she was looking lovely, her hair newly coloured and styled. She was wearing her white jeans, but now they had embroidered pink roses up and down the seams.

'Has Jake been here?' I asked.

'Has he heck,' said Mum. 'I did them. You're not the only one who can be creative, Lola Rose.'

'They look lovely, Mum. You look lovely.'

'Do I?' said Mum, preening. 'Well, I've got to tart myself up. I'm going job-hunting tomorrow.'

'Why don't you wait a bit, Nikki?' said Auntie Barbara. 'Give yourself time to get better.'

'I am better,' said Mum. 'And I need a job as soon as possible. I've got to feed these kids.'

'I can take care of the bills for a bit,' said Auntie Barbara.

'I don't want you to,' said Mum. 'Haven't you been lecturing me all day about standing on my own two feet and not depending on anyone?'

'I don't lecture,' said Auntie Barbara, giving Mum a tiny push. 'And you'll never be able to stand on your two feet, not wearing those ridiculous high heels.'

Mum blew a raspberry at Auntie Barbara. 'Nag nag nag.'

'Whinge whinge whinge,' said Auntie Barbara.

Mum pulled a hideous face.

Auntie Barbara pulled a worse one.

They were like two silly kids.

'Aren't they childish, Kendall,' I said, winking.

I started singing Mum's 'Lucky' song as I helped get tea ready steak and chips and a watercress salad to build Mum up, and then strawberries and cream. I washed the watercress and took the stalks off the strawberries and whipped the cream. Kendall licked the bowl, singing the 'Lucky' song too. Mum joined in and Auntie Barbara.

I thought she'd have a great big powerful singing voice, but she sounded sweet and girly, just like Mum. They started singing all these daft duets together. Mum didn't have the energy to dance but she took off her high heels and kicked them up and down in the air.

Auntie Barbara did dance, larking about, light on her toes in spite of her bulk. She picked Kendall up and danced with him. Then it was my turn. She whirled me round and round the room until Mum and Kendall blurred, and the room whirled with me.

I felt so happy then, eating my treat tea, sure we really were lucky lucky lucky.

Mum still had to go back to hospital to get the results of her tests. Auntie Barbara went with her. I hoped they might come to meet us from school. I wanted them to be waiting by the gate with big smiles on their faces. But they weren't there.

Kendall and I walked home with Harpreet and Amandeep. I nattered to Harpreet all sorts of stupid stuff about boys and football and rock stars but all the time I was chanting inside my head. Let her be all right, please please please.

I tried not to walk on any cracks in the pavement in case it was bad luck.

'Are your shoes hurting you?' Harpreet asked.

'No.'

'So why are you walking funny, picking your feet up like a pony?' said Harpreet.

'Am I?' I threw back my head and neighed. 'Give me a carrot. And a sugar lump.'

'You're nuts,' said Harpreet, giggling.

'I'm a shark, not a pony,' said Kendall. 'Watch me, Amandeep.'

He held his arm out like it was part of his head, opened his mouth as wide as it would go, and circled round us.

'Shut your mouth, Kendall, we can see your tonsils,' I said. 'Hey, Harpreet, you should see my Auntie Barbara do her whale imitation.'

'I like your auntie. So where is she today?'

'She's with my mum,' I said. My voice went wobbly.

Kendall looked at me. He stopped being a shark. He put his hand in mine and hung on tightly all the way home.

I knew it was bad news the moment we got in the door. Mum was hunched up on the sofa, chin on her knees, all her make-up cried away. Auntie Barbara tried to smile at us but her eyes were red too.

'Oh Mum!' I cried.

She held out her arms and we went rushing to her. She cuddled us close, while Auntie Barbara hovered.

'It's awful news,' said Mum. 'The lump was cancer, and now it's advanced. And it was in all the lymph nodes under my arm too. So I've got to have chemotherapy so I shall puke all the time and I'll probably lose all my hair.' She started weeping again.

'You'll look funny without hair,' said Kendall.

'Shut up. Mum will still look pretty no matter what,' I said fiercely. 'Just so long as she gets better.'

'But will I get better?' said Mum.

'Of course you will,' said Auntie Barbara.

'And I could just as easily say of course I won't,' said Mum. 'Do you know what the odds are, Lola Rose?'

'Nikki, stop it. You shouldn't tell her all this.'

'Look, she's my daughter. I'll tell her what I want. I don't have secrets from my kids. I've got a fifty-fifty chance, Lola Rose, even if I let them do all this chemo and radiation treatment. Fine sort of Lady Luck I am.'

I felt as if the Voice of Doom had burst out of my head and was booming the bad news from a loudspeaker. It was so loud I couldn't think of anything else.

Kendall didn't seem to understand properly and whined to watch television. He wouldn't eat his tea and got very boisterous at bedtime, leaping about all over the place, refusing to put his pyjamas on. Mum yelled at him. Kendall burst into tears and wouldn't stop. He screamed for hours until we were exhausted.

When he finally settled, still snuffling in his sleep, Mum got Auntie Barbara to go down to the off licence for a couple of bottles of wine. She drank steadily, swallowing the wine as if it was medicine, until her head lolled and her eyes closed.

'Time you were asleep too, Lola Rose,' said Auntie Barbara.

'I don't think I can,' I said.

'Come here.' Auntie Barbara held me tight. I couldn't feel safe even with her arms round me.

'It's so unfair,' I mumbled into her shoulder.

'I know, I know.'

'I hate feeling scared all the time.'

'It's awful, isn't it.'

'I just want Mum to be better and Dad to stay away and for us to be happy, just like anyone else. And and it's so bad of me, but I feel so cross with Mum.' I burst out crying. 'I know it's not her fault, she can't help having cancer, but it's like she's spoiling everything. Oh God, I'm sorry, I shouldn't say that. It's wicked. I'm wicked.'

'No, you're just worn out with worrying, darling. You're not wicked at all, you're the best girl ever. I'm so proud of my special niece. This is the one great thing for me, you know. I've met up with you and Kendall again.'