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impressive.’
    â€˜It’s called a Vegas coin roll,’ he told her.
    â€˜That’s going to beat the offer of a sticker every single time—especially for the boys,’ she said with a smile.
    â€˜It doesn’t take long to learn. I’ll teach you some time, if you like,’ he said. ‘Actually, I was hoping to catch you today. Ric says they have a space, so come along on Saturday for a chat. Any time you like between nine and four—he or Bea will be around.’ He fished in his pocket and brought out a folded piece of paper. ‘This is their phone number, their address and directions to the stables from the centre of Brighton.’
    She really hadn’t expected that, and her breath caught. An unexpected kindness. ‘Thank you. It’ll mean the world to Ty. He’s been obsessed with horses for years—but, living in London, we didn’t really get to see horses unless we went out at the weekend to one of the farm park places.’
    â€˜And you thought that maybe he’d grow out of the obsession, get interested in something else?’
    She nodded. ‘Our paediatrician said these obsessions are very common with Asperger’s children, and they tend to change as the children grow up. But he still really, really loves horses.’
    â€˜I’m with him, there. I met my horse when he was an hour old, and I fell in love with him on the spot.’
    She could identify with that. The moment she’d first held Tyler, she’d felt a rush of love like nothing she’d ever experienced before—a deep, deep sense of wonder mingled with protectiveness and sheer joy. She knew that some mothers found it took time to bond with their child, but for her it had been instant and overwhelming—and the lovehad grown even deeper over the years. ‘I’d better get back to my patients,’ she said. ‘And thank you again. I really appreciate it.’
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    On Saturday morning, Tyler was almost beside himself with excitement. She drove him to the stables, and Bea showed them around.
    â€˜Did Dominic mention about…?’ Louisa asked quietly when they were in the tack room and Tyler was trying on hard hats.
    Bea smiled. ‘Yes. I assume he told you about Andy?’ At Louisa’s blank look, she continued, ‘Ric’s younger brother. He has Asperger’s. Actually, he’s in charge of stable management—Ric and I run the classes,’ she explained. ‘So you don’t need to worry. We’re aware of the challenges, but as far as I’m concerned if a child loves horses and wants to ride, my job is to help the child do just that. We’ll work around the challenges together, because we’re all on the same team.’
    Louisa had to swallow hard.
    Bea patted her on the shoulder. ‘Riding’s going to be great for him.’
    â€˜Will he be in a class?’
    â€˜I prefer one to one with beginners, at least for the first couple of months, until they’re a bit more confident. But if he wants to come along to a class as well, once we’ve got him started, that’s fine.’
    â€˜Dominic said you do RDA work.’
    Bea nodded. ‘We have half a dozen ponies that we use for RDA sessions—they’re very calm and gentle. We run one class each day especially for RDA students. And it’s not just about physical therapy, though of course riding’s great for improving muscle tone and posture and helping to develop fine and gross motor skills. It’s about life skills,too—being with the horses helps both children and adults with communication skills, taking responsibility and being part of a team. And connecting with the animals brings in a new element to their lives.’ She paused. ‘Really, Louisa, you don’t need to worry. We’ll take very good care of him. You can come and watch, bring someone with you, or even just sit in the car and read while