‘I meant to give you this earlier in Bristol, or when we met at the café, but there was so much happening. It’s for Ruby. Maybe I should wait until she wakes up?’

Hannah took the gift bag. ‘I don’t think I can.’

‘OK. We were always desperate to open presents and I’m sure Ruby won’t mind. If you leave the box-shaped parcel for her and just have the tissue-wrapped thing in the gift bag.’

Hannah pulled out the box and put it aside on the sofa. She unwrapped the tissue paper and her eyes misted with tears. ‘Oh God. It’s a hippo. A hippo like I had. I still have him, Mum.’

‘I thought you might.’

‘It’s probably more for you – and me – than Ruby. Very indulgent. A granny present.’

Hannah flung her arms around Chloe, squashing the hippo between them. ‘Thanks, Mum. Thanks for everything. Shit, I’ve made you cry now,’ she said, spotting Chloe’s tears. Her own eyes glistened. ‘So that makes both of us.’

‘It’s f-fine,’ Chloe stammered. ‘Sh-shall we both have a bloody massive blub and get it over with so we can start again tomorrow?’

A short while and a fresh box of tissues later, Chloe and Hannah sat down with the last of their wine. Hannah finished her glass and yawned. ‘I’ve been so wound up I thought I’d never sleep again, but I feel knackered.’

‘No wonder. It’s been a very big day. Go to bed and I’ll clear up.’

‘OK. Thanks,’ Hannah said, but her voice was almost drowned out by the wind rattling the flat. ‘God, if we make it until morning.’

‘This is nothing, according to Troy. He’s lived here for over eighty years and he knows what he’s talking about.’

Hannah laughed. ‘Troy, Drew, the festival … I knew you’d get into village life. Organising has always been your thing.’

Apart from organising my own life, thought Chloe.

‘You love living here, don’t you?’ said Hannah,

‘I wasn’t sure at first but I’ve made some friends I’d never have got to know otherwise.’ Chloe looked again at the photograph she’d received for her birthday, with all its dramatic energy. ‘Now, I can’t ever imagine living anywhere else.’

Chapter Thirty

On Friday morning, Sam had been to a pre-festival briefing at the harbourmaster’s office when she received a call from Chloe to say that her first night back together with her daughter had been a positive one. She stopped on the quayside to have a quick chat. Chloe insisted on resuming some of her duties later in the day, which was a big relief to Sam who felt overwhelmed with responsibility. She kept telling herself that she always felt like this on Festival Eve, but she hadn’t liked the sound of the forecast that the harbourmaster had passed on.