“Good for you!” I said. “That should be our toast—to taking yourself on a glorious holiday.” That’s what I’d done when I’d taken myself to Greece. It wasn’t after being dumped by my groom, but I had been in a post-break-up slump, needing something that was just for me.

Taking that trip was one of the best decisions of my life.

Siobhan responded to my toast by holding up her glass and we clinked ours together. “So, how long are you here for?” Josh asked.

“Eight glorious days. I got here yesterday, so one week more. And do you know how bloody cold it is in Dublin right now?” It was clearly a rhetorical question, so we waited it out. “Bloody freezing, that’s how cold. And serves Liam right, the eejit. He’s sitting there in his cold little flat all by himself, and I’m in paradise making new friends.”

“So, you’ll be here for New Year’s, then?” I asked.

“Yes, that was the whole reason for taking the trip now, so we could celebrate the start of the new year as husband and wife.” Yep, definitely an edge in her voice. It was obviously still a gaping wound, no matter how much good cheer she seemed to have.

It took the rest of that round and another round of cocktails to hear Siobhan’s story and for us to share an abridged version of ours. It took less time for me to fall hopelessly in love with her. She was effusive and genuine and quick to laugh, especially at herself. I had no doubt Liam was an eejit for not marrying her.

They had been together fourteen years—fourteen years!—when one night over fish and chips, he’d said, “Do ya tink we should get marrid?” Have you ever heard of a less romantic proposal? Siobhan was still beating herself up for saying yes, but at the time she hadn’t realised how much of a rut she was in.

“I have declared war on boredom,” she said. “How can we think that life is supposed to be an endless stream of watching rubbish TV, eating fish and chips for tea, and folding someone else’s pants? I used to be sooo much fun when I was younger.” She took the piece of pineapple from the rim of her drink and chewed on it.

“You know, when Josh and I met, we bonded over something similar. Josh calls it ‘having a bigger life’.”

He nodded, his brows knitting together. “I haven’t been doing such a great job of that, though.”

“No?” I asked at the same time Siobhan asked, “Why not?”

He spat out a wry laugh. To me he said, “No, I haven’t, not really,” and to Siobhan, “That is an excellent question. I’ve been asking myself the same thing and the truth is, I really don’t know. Fear, perhaps.”

“Of what?” she asked. She wasn’t letting him off the hook and, truth be told, I was with Siobhan. I wanted to know what he was so scared of that he’d let his own life philosophy fall by the wayside.