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your son?”
    “My son, my moon and my stars,” Iris replied picking her hair from the floor to wipe her tears.
    “I’m sorry,” Violet said, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    “He’s not here,” Iris continued, “They said he was bold as brass, a divided soul but I knew he had spirit. A child without spirit is the sky without stars. He had stars my William. A world full of stars. Are you in school with him?”
    Violet shook her head.
    “No. No I don’t go to school with him but my Dad works for George and Edward.”
    “George and Edward, Edward and George. They took the light from my eyes. They’ve a streak like their father. All in order, there must be order.”
    Violet stepped back towards the main door. The old lady was crazy and she didn’t want to upset her anymore than she already had.
    “Em...my Mam has tea on and I have to go,” she mumbled.
    “Don’t drink the tea,” Iris snapped, “don’t drink it I tell ya!”
    “Em... I won’t, I promise,” Violet said, edging closer to the door.
    She was just about to step out into the hallway when the old lady spoke again. This time she didn’t sound so mad.
    “You remind me of him Violet. You remind me of my William. There’s spirit inside you. Keep it close.”
    “You know my name?”
    “The boy told me. He’s watching out for your spirit. You’ve connected with his soul.”
    “What boy?”
    She hadn’t met any boys in Perfect except for the ones in her class and they definitely weren’t looking out for her. Iris didn’t answer, she had slipped back into her own world. Violet asked once more and with still no luck walked from the house into the perpetual Summer back towards home.

CHAPTER 10
    An Urgent Meeting
     
    Her mother was back by the time Violet returned home and full of the joys of Perfect, she just couldn’t stop describing Mrs Bickory’s apple pie.
    “The best I have ever tasted Violet. I promise I’ll make it for you. June gave me the recipe. It’s a family secret but she said she would share it with me. Everybody is so nice in this town.”
    Violet nodded as she took out her schoolbooks.
    “Oh good,” her mother smiled, “those pills are working. I have never seen you so eager to study dear.”
    Violet was silent. She wasn’t anymore or less eager to study than she had been before but her mother seemed happy and hopefully that meant no more pills.
    “Here dear,” her mother said, dropping a yellow capsule onto the table, “time for your medication.”
    “But Mam please I’m fine on the blue ones. I love Perfect,” Violet smiled.
    “That’s great Violet I’m delighted you love it here but that’s got nothing to do with your IDDCS. You do want to be cured don’t you dear?”
    “Can we wait for Dad to come home? Please.”
    “Okay but your Dad agrees with me. We both want you to be rid of this syndrome. It’s holding you back. Think of how much you could achieve without it.”
    Violet smiled, turned back to her books and pretended to study while Rose Brown whistled the evening away preparing risotto. Violet had never even heard of risotto before Perfect, now it was her mother’s speciality.
    Hours swept by and her Dad had not returned from work. He never missed dinner. In all the years he had been her father and that was all her life, he had never spent an evening away without telling them. She glanced up at the clock as her mother set the table.
    “We can’t wait any longer Violet dear,” her mother sighed, “this apple pie will go soggy.”
    “But what about Dad?”
    “Don’t worry about your father, he can have my pie another day.”
    “I’m not worried about your pie Mam! Where is Dad? It’s not like him to come home late. What if something’s happened?”
    “In Perfect Violet!” her mother laughed, “Of course nothing has happened to Dad. He’s just caught up in his work. He has the best job in the world working with the Archer brothers.”
    “But Mam,” Violet pleaded, “I thought