Not Tuscany, no. Although, to give Phil his due, he’d taken the ‘no hard feelings’ text as well as a man on a self-improvement drive could.

‘Venice,’ said Tara. ‘David and I are staying there for a week, then I’ve got a month’s retreat in the hills. The start of my sabbatical. I’m going to be volunteering on an ancient village, helping with the archaeology, then learning how to meditate. The idea is to … Why are you looking at me like that?’

‘I’m your father. Should I be asking questions about this young man’s intentions?’

‘He’s looking after my cat while I’m away. That’s all you need to know.’

It was funny, Tara thought, how once the dad-shaped hole in your heart was finally filled, you stopped trying to force unsuitable candidates in there. Justin, Phil … There was infinite space now in her heart for a real love, a proper romance, the beginning of something that might just end up being …

Don’t jinx it, she told herself. She still saw too many disintegrating couples at the Wellness Centre to take anything for granted. Apart from which, there were already three of them in the relationship – her, David and Sybil.

‘Well, happy travels if I don’t see you before you leave,’ said Keith, kissing her on the forehead. ‘Don’t forget to send me a postcard.’

‘I’ll be back for the big launch night,’ she promised. ‘I wouldn’t miss this Hallowe’en party for anything.’

Tara slipped into the driver’s seat, and put on her sunglasses. She turned up the radio and buzzed the windows down so she could feel the fresh air on her face. Soon, she’d be on the road trip she’d been dreaming about since she was a teenager, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

This wasn’t running away, she knew that now – this was travelling. Running away was when you had no plans to come back, no idea where you were going. Travelling was when you took your home with you, in your heart, and reached out for the world with both hands.

Tara knew where her home was, where her heart lay, who her family truly were. Compared to that journey, this one would be a breeze. And coming home would be the sweetest part of the trip.

Acknowledgements

It’s been a strange couple of years, to say the least, and I’m even more grateful than usual for the support and enthusiasm of everyone who’s helped carry After the Rain (and me) over the obstacle course that was 2020.