The morning Alyssa Charles-Reid’s life imploded was a perfectly pleasant one. The sky above her house was a piercing shade of blue, the smell of cut grass hung in the air and the sun’s rays toasted the pavement.

‘See you in a few weeks, darling!’ said Mum as she waved cheerily from the front door.

A bit too cheerily, Alyssa thought. Three weeks was the longest she’d been away from home. It was the longest she’d been away ever. Would Mum miss her?

Alyssa put on a smile and waved goodbye to Mum as she climbed into Dad’s car.

It was the start of the summer holidays and Alyssa was preparing for a number of firsts:

Her first solo trip to London.

Her first time meeting Great-Auntie Jasmine.

Her first holiday without her parents, who were dumping her in London with the aforementioned great-aunt for three whole weeks.

‘You’re going to have the best time, sweetheart,’ Dad said as they sped down the motorway. It was as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of her either.

Alyssa fiddled with her braids. She was still getting used to her new hairstyle: Mum had had her thick curly hair braided into a gazillion tiny plaits that grazed her shoulder. It was so Alyssa could manage her hair over the summer. So she could get by without Mum.

‘I’d love to spend a few days with you in Dublin, Dad,’ Alyssa hinted for the millionth time. One more try couldn’t hurt.

She was being extra careful to be on her best behaviour around Mum and Dad, and that had meant not badgering them with demands to stay with them over the summer. She didn’t want to be a burden. Unfortunately, the hints didn’t seem to have worked.

Dad sighed. ‘We’ve been through this, sweetheart. You don’t want to join my work conference. I won’t have time to leave the hotel.’

Alyssa tried to hide her disappointment. She’d rather be in a dull hotel with Dad than spend the summer with a relative she had never met. Especially now that she only ever saw Dad on weekends since he’d moved out a few months ago. He and Mum both said it was temporary, but Dad showed no sign of coming home.

They drove on in silence, Alyssa’s mind bubbling with unanswered questions. Earlier that week, when she’d asked Mum about Great-Auntie Jasmine and why she’d never met her, Mum had pretended she hadn’t heard.

‘How come I’ve never met Great-Auntie Jasmine before? Or any of Mum’s family?’ Alyssa asked now.

Dad smiled. ‘Your mum can be a closed book, sweetheart.’

‘She never wants to talk about them!’ Alyssa said.

It was so weird. She knew all about Dad’s family in Leeds, even if they only saw each other at Christmas and Easter. But Mum was so secretive, and Alyssa couldn’t help wondering why.

‘All I know,’ said Dad, ‘is that she fell out with her sister – that’s your Auntie Dahlia – a long time ago. Before we met. And I’ve never met your grandparents because they live in Jamaica. They couldn’t make it to our wedding. We’re really grateful that Jasmine is able to look after you at such short notice. She has a tea shop, you know?’

Alyssa smiled weakly. It was hard to get excited about three weeks being surrounded by dusty tea leaves and an ancient great-aunt. Would she even have Wi-Fi?

Usually Alyssa and her parents went on holiday somewhere sunny over the summer break. But not this year. Alyssa remembered the crushing disappointment she’d felt when she discovered they wouldn’t be going away together as a family.

It had totally ruined Alyssa’s plan. She’d wanted to make sure that Mum and Dad had an incredibly fun time. So much fun, in fact, that Dad would realise what he was missing and move back home straight away.

Now, the plan had failed before it had even begun.

Mum and Dad said they were too busy with work trips for a summer holiday, but neither of them had told the other until last week. Typical. They never seemed to talk much these days.

It had been a last-minute scramble to find someone to look after Alyssa, and Great-Auntie Jasmine was the only available choice. Alyssa had found it hard to ignore the hushed telephone calls Mum made to neighbours and friends, asking them if they could look after Alyssa for a few weeks. Every time they told Mum they had other plans, like a real holiday booked with their families, Mum had sounded so disappointed.

Mum was a property lawyer, which was a job Alyssa didn’t exactly understand. All she knew was that it kept Mum busy and glued to her laptop. Alyssa kept hearing Mum mutter phrases like ‘big client’ and ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’. Basically, it sounded like Mum would be in trouble at work if she didn’t get this deal right. Alyssa guessed it sort of explained why Mum had pretty much taken to sleeping with her laptop.

So, Alyssa was being packed off to Great-Auntie Jasmine’s for three weeks.

She couldn’t help but feel a little rejected.

The car’s GPS informed them that they were getting closer to Great-Auntie Jasmine’s tea shop. Soon, Dad pulled the car to a stop. They had arrived.

Dad opened his arms wide. ‘Come and give your old dad a hug, then!’

Alyssa hugged him awkwardly, being careful not to accidentally hit the steering wheel. His ginger beard tickled her face, and she breathed in his familiar scent, mingled with something new.

She pulled back. ‘Did you change your fabric softener?’

Dad chuckled. ‘Master sleuth, Alyssa! Why, yes, I did. It’s called Spring Meadow or something. Is that all right with you?’

Alyssa nodded, even though it wasn’t. Not at all. It was just one more way Dad had changed without her knowing. How much more would he change by the time the summer was over? If Alyssa wasn’t there to help get her parents back together, would they stay apart forever?

‘Alyssa, I …’ Dad began.

She braced herself. Was Dad finally going to tell her he was moving back home?

Dad plastered on a fake grin. ‘I want you to have the best time ever.’

No.

Alyssa looked out of the car window. ‘The shop’s all the way down there.’

‘It’s impossible to find a parking space, sweetheart,’ Dad muttered. ‘Let’s see if I can find somewhere away from the high street,’ he added, but then he glanced uneasily at the time. He looked stressed. Alyssa could tell what he was thinking. If he didn’t hurry, he might not make his flight.

‘It’s all right, Dad,’ she said. ‘I can hop out here.’

‘Are you sure? It’ll only take a few minutes.’

Alyssa put on a brave face. ‘It’s fine. I’ll be starting Year Seven in September. I can handle this.’

Dad looked relieved. ‘That’s my girl,’ he said.

Alyssa looked out at the chaos of the high street, her heart racing. It seemed way busier than the shopping centre at home. But if she was going to secondary school next term, she’d better get used to navigating new places. Just the thought of secondary school made her tummy flip with anxiety and she pushed it out of her mind.

Alyssa gave Dad another hug and got out of the car. She wheeled her purple suitcase along, dodging shoppers and manky pigeons. Her palms were clammy against her suitcase handle. She ignored the urge to run back to Dad’s car, and walked down the high street.

She scanned the rows of shops, looking for Jasmine’s Teas – her great-aunt’s tea shop. The high street looked like a right mishmash. Greengrocers and a couple of chain stores stood beside greasy-spoon cafes, laundrettes and corner shops that looked like they’d been around for decades. Across the road was a small park teeming with activity. It was full of kids playing football and people walking their dogs. The road was busy with traffic, but Alyssa was surprised that the air smelled clean and fresh. She looked up and noticed brightly coloured flowers hanging from every lamp post lining the road. They seemed to perfume the air with their magical scent.

This was not what she had expected London to look like. Where were the towering statues, historic buildings and glamorous shops she’d seen on school trips? Of course, she didn’t think her great-aunt lived opposite Big Ben or Buckingham Palace, but she didn’t expect it to look so … normal. As she carried on walking, her nerves eased a little. She had the vague feeling that she was returning to somewhere she’d been before. It made her feel warm and welcomed. But, as far as she knew, she’d never set foot in this part of London.

Finally, she found it. A faded...