‘It wasn’t all bad,’ I said wistfully, thinking back to some of the happy times we’d had in London in the early days: our weekend jaunts to stroll round markets, brunch in Covent Garden watching street entertainers, boat trips along the Thames … fun touristy things. Harvey had been good company then, a little possessive at times, but I’d been too in love to notice.

Dad made a growling noise. ‘And to think I encouraged you to go off with him.’

‘I’d have gone anyway,’ I said, squeezing his hand. ‘I was totally smitten, I thought he was “the one”. But he wasn’t and now I’m home again.’

‘Well, I feel sick to my stomach.’ He frowned. ‘I wish I hadn’t ordered apple crumble now, I don’t think I could eat another thing.’

I hid a smile as I looked at Dad’s plate scraped clean: he’d demolished an extra-large cod, chips and peas before hoovering up my leftover chips and most of Evie’s dinner. She hadn’t done much more than push hers around.

‘There’ve been a few times I’d suspected that you weren’t happy.’ Evie propped her elbows on the table. ‘I could kick myself for not probing deeper. But I kept thinking that if anything was wrong you’d tell me.’

I picked up my glass and swirled the lemon slice around in my water. ‘It took me a long time to realize that there was something wrong.’

‘You’ve done the hardest part in leaving him, love,’ said Dad, sipping his shandy. ‘You can put it behind you and move on.’

‘Absolutely,’ I said with more confidence than I felt. It was eight o’clock; another half an hour and Harvey would be at the flat reading my note. I sneaked my hand into my bag, pulled out my phone and switched it to silent, setting it down on the table. ‘All I need to do is find somewhere to live and a new job.’

‘I’ll drink to that.’ Evie chinked her wine against my sparkling water and then against Dad’s glass.

‘If I’d known sooner, I’d have taken the house off the rental market and you could have moved back in,’ said Dad.

I shook my head. ‘You’re counting on the rent to fund your trip.’

He dismissed that with a wave of his hand. ‘Do you want me to tell Adam that he can’t have the house? I’m sure he’d understand.’

Just then there was the sound of a champagne cork popping, followed by cheering and a round of applause. The three of us looked round to see Adam and Nicky surrounded by a circle of friends being toasted with full glasses of bubbly.

Evie winced. ‘Although it would be a shame to rain on their parade.’

‘Exactly. We can’t let them down,’ I agreed. ‘It’s not their fault I’m homeless.’