‘Well,’ Molly said lightly, ‘is anyone?’

Ruth’s stay at The Laurels felt like a lifeline to Molly, literally. It was as if she was suddenly connected back to herself, to the real self that had flourished nowhere else as it had in the army.

During those days she felt no need to resort to drink. Before, she had been relying more and more on alcohol to see her through, even though she hated herself for it. She had tried not to let it get out of hand and, above all, not to get caught. She hid her habit by deviousness, and peppermints to veil the taste on her breath, especially if she had secretly run to her room in the daytime for a sip to keep her going.

Since Ruth had been here, she hadn’t felt the same desperate need to drink to fill her emptiness. But the time flew by. On the third day, Molly’s day off, they could at last spend all of it together. The day dawned fair, and the girls decided to spend the time on the beach.

‘We can take some sarnies and buy a few other bits on the way,’ Molly said.

‘I’ve got my sweet ration coupons still,’ Ruth said with a giggle.

‘Me too!’

‘We can get sherbet lemons . . .’

‘And toffees!’

They were like children.

They set off with their towels and rations, in the Jaywick direction, and found their place to settle on the pale sand amid the other holidaymakers. It was quite crowded as so many people were celebrating the freedom of the end of the war by coming to the sea at last. There was a constant playing of games and children screaming and splashing, and that was all part of the pleasure. The sun came out hot and strong and the two of them alternated between paddling and lounging back lazily in the heat.

‘Aah, this is blissful,’ Ruth said, as they strolled back over the warm sand from another toe-tingling visit to the sea and settled on their towels, drinking in the heat.

Molly looked across at Ruth’s slender limbs, her quaint, rather severe face with its closed eyes, the lids a pale mauve. She smiled faintly, remembering how much she and Ruth had antagonized each other when they first met. How odd it was that they should be here now, as friends! The day passed all too quickly. They ate their picnic and sunbathed. Ruth went and bought ice creams from a passing barrow and they licked them, staring out at the blue. Ruth made a face.

‘Ugh – evap! And what on earth else is it made of? It feels at if it’s got porridge in it!’

‘Probably has,’ Molly said. It really was a very odd ice cream.

As the afternoon waned and some of the families started to pack up, Ruth said, ‘Shall we go for a wander along? It’s been heaven lazing about, but I could do with a walk and it’d be nice to see a bit more. It still feels so astounding, even being allowed on the beach!’