Dad headed off to flip burgers and I headed towards the drinks table. Sod it. I’d regret it in the morning but I needed one more drink. Maybe not a triple vodka, though.

Bottle of lager in hand, I weaved my way through the throng to the edge of the promenade and, now past the crowd, slowly lowered myself to a seated position with my legs dangling over the edge.

‘Sorry, Nikki,’ I whispered into the darkness, holding my bottle up to the sky. ‘You’d have hated this. We drank to you in the pub, though. You’d have liked that.’

The afternoon had been spot on. Great company, great beer, great conversation. They’d both loved and lost but they’d bounced back and were happy with their new lives. I could be happy with mine. Hopefully Jemma was still on for seeing me tomorrow night so we could talk and I could apologise for been such a tosser over the whole baby business.

A pair of cold hands covered my eyes from behind and a female voice whispered, ‘Guess who?’

My heart raced. ‘Jemma?’

‘You can call me that if it turns you on.’

Shit! I shrugged her hands off me and spun round. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

Kirsty giggled as she sat down beside me, bashing into me as she did so. Obviously drunk. Like me. She moved closer so that her thigh pressed against mine. I shuffled along. So did she.

‘Quit it!’ I hissed. ‘Why are you here? You weren’t friends with Nikki.’

She giggled again. ‘What’s she got to do with it? Jeremy invited me.’

‘Who’s Jeremy?’

‘New doctor. Moved in next door to Nikki’s parents. They invited him to the party and he invited me.’

‘It’s not a party.’

She looked over her shoulder towards the throng of people in front of the beach hut. ‘It’s doing a pretty good impression of a party if you ask me.’

‘Well, it’s not meant to be a party. It’s meant to be a small group of friends and family celebrating Nikki’s life.’

‘Oh yes, it’s the anniversary today, isn’t it? One year. Are you sad?’ She reached out to touch my cheek.

‘Get off me!’ I dropped down a foot or so onto the sand but Kirsty did the same.

‘What do you want?’ I snapped.

‘Isn’t it obvious?’

‘No.’

‘I want the same thing I’ve wanted since the Christmas party five years ago. I want you.’

‘Jesus, Kirsty, what’s wrong with you? You had me, remember but I wasn’t enough for you. You wanted others too.’

She stroked my arm but I shrugged her off and moved away, staggering on the uneven beach.

‘Don’t be like that, babe. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I wouldn’t do that again.’