Free Step Back in Time by Ali McNamara Page A

her one day.
    In our own kitchen we quickly get a routine going between the two of us, and soon we are producing dozens of beautifully browned and perfectly risen cupcakes. But it’s when I start to decorate them with various types of coloured icing that Ellie gets really excited.
    ‘Where on earth did you learn to do this, Jo-Jo?’ she asks. ‘Have you been taking lessons from that Fanny Cradock?’
    I assume Fanny Cradock must be the sixties TV equivalent of Mary Berry or Jamie Oliver. ‘Er, no, my granny taught me how to bake when I was little, and my sisters and I used to go and stay with her in the holidays. But these,’ I say proudly, scanning my hand across the plates of finished cupcakes, ‘these are almost as good as the ones that the Hummingbird Bakery make, aren’t they?’
    ‘The what bakery?’ Ellie asks, looking puzzled.
    ‘The Hummingbird,’ I say without thinking, as I now concentrate on piping out some pink icing on to a row of cakes. ‘The place you go and get cakes from when it’s someone’s birthday in the office.’
    ‘Have you breathed in too much icing sugar? We don’t celebrate birthdays at work, do we? It’s not allowed. Let alone going out to buy cakes from a bakery!’
    ‘Maybe they should start then,’ I suggest quickly. Damn, I need to be more careful. It was so easy to relax and forget. ‘So what do you think?’ I ask her, standing back to admire my work.
    ‘They look fantastic, Jo-Jo, never seen fairy cakes like them before in me life!’
    ‘Cupcakes,’ I remind her.
    ‘Cakes for giant fairies!’ she grins.
    ‘I don’t care what you call them, when you hand them out tomorrow I’m sure everyone will love them.’ I flop down on to a chair. Gosh that was hard work, but I really enjoyed it. I can’t remember the last time I had a chance to do some home baking. Something else I used to really enjoy, but haven’t had the time for in years.
    ‘I can’t take all the credit for these little beauties,’ Ellie says, still admiring the cakes. ‘You made them, you must hand them out. They can be your attempt to win employee of the month.’
    ‘No way! I did this to help you. You were part of the baking process, I didn’t do it all myself. Plus, I’m not bothered about winning the prize.’
    Ellie looks stunned. Her pert little mouth forms a big round O. ‘How can you even say that, Jo-Jo?’ she asks in shock. ‘It’s the
Beatles
, everyone wants to meet the Beatles!’
    I shrug. ‘Not me. Can’t see what all the fuss is about.’
    Ellie shakes her head, and a curl of her blonde hair falls down from where she has it pinned up on the top of her head. ‘Jo-Jo, you’ve changed,’ she says, a tinge of sadness in her voice. ‘I dunno what it is about you, it’s almost like…’
    ‘Like what?’ I ask, suddenly afraid she’s going to make some incredible guess as to what’s going on.
    ‘Like you’ve lost some of your spark.’
    ‘What do you mean, my spark?’
    Ellie shrugs now. ‘I’m not sure really, you’re just so down about everything, so serious these days. You’ve no enthusiasm for life like you used to have, and you never have any fun. In fact, making these cakes tonight is the happiest I’ve seen you in ages!’
    ‘Don’t be silly, Ellie,’ I say lightly. ‘Of course I’m happy. I just don’t show it quite as visually as you. I was happy when we went out with Harry and his friends last night.’
    ‘Yes, I have to give you that. Harry certainly seems to put a skip in your step,’ she winks.
    ‘See?’ I grin to keep her happy. But beneath my smile I realise the Jo-Jo she’s describing is exactly the Jo-Jo of the future.
    Maybe that’s why I’m here? To try and regain some of my spark? I’ve already realised in the short time I’ve been here that I must make time when I get back to find some fun outside of work. I enjoyed being out with Harry at the World’s End, and I loved making cakes with Ellie tonight. For a few precious