“Hello Mrs Porter, this is my husband Michael, my son Christopher and this little scamp here is my daughter Tina” Catherine pulls gently on Tina’s pigtailed blonde hair.

“I’m 5 how old is your daughter” Tina chips in

Mrs Porter bends down to eye level with Tina.

“Elizabeth is 5 also but she will be 6 next month”

“Am I 6 next month Daddy”

“No darling you won’t be 6 for 10 months remember your Birthday party wasn’t that long ago”

“Is 10 months a long time Daddy”

“No not that long”

“Good…I want to be 6 before Elizabeth”

The adults didn’t have the heart to tell Tina that just wasn’t possible and let it pass.

“Shall we”  Mrs Porter leads the way through the house in to the garden.

Mr Porter is standing on the patio with a little girl wrapped round his legs.

Before any introductions can me made Tina approaches Elizabeth and holds out her right hand.

“Hello my name is Tina and I will be 6 before you”

Elizabeth holds out her hand and Tina shakes it quite robustly.

“Hello your small for nearly being 6”

Tina is a little annoyed that although she is older or so she thinks, she is indeed a head smaller than Elizabeth.

“I am but I bet you can’t catch me wearing that silly dress”  Tina runs off as fast as her little legs will allow down the garden.

Elizabeth looks up at her Daddy

“Well go catch her”

Elizabeth goes after her but Tina is not only way faster she also had a huge head start

“Come on slowcoach” Tina teases
Tina is not looking where she is going and stumbles into a rose bush

“Ouch”

By the time Elizabeth catches up Tina is sat on the ground holding her finger which has a tiny amount of blood.

“Your bleeding”

Tina is trying her hardest not to cry but can feel a rogue tear fall down her cheek.

Without thinking Elizabeth prods her own finger with a rose thorn and although it hurt feels quite proud that they now have matching bloodied fingers, she holds it up to show Tina.

Tina is completely stunned by what Elizabeth had just done and holds up her own bloody finger.