Her thoughts turned to the conversation she’d had with Em the night before, about how their children were growing up, finding their own ways, for better or worse. About how Em’s kids had to be dragged places with her these days, how they’d rather be doing more adventurous, adrenalin-rushing activities better suited to their age. For the rest of the evening, Maggie’s mind had kept returning to the subject, nudging at it with the uncomfortable feeling that she might have been going about this holiday all wrong. For whatever reason, Amelia had made it clear she no longer wanted to do the type of things they’d done when she was little. So maybe Maggie had to find an acceptable middle ground, be a bit more adventurous herself in suggesting other day-trips and activities they could try.

It was only as she was brushing her teeth that an idea struck her and she grinned at herself in the mirror. Of course. Perfect! Within a few minutes she was searching online and then entering her credit-card details, too quickly for her to go and bottle out. There! she thought with a mixture of triumph and trepidation, as the email confirmation beeped through on her phone moments later. Let it not be said that Maggie Laine couldn’t surprise her own daughter now and then. Let it not be said that she couldn’t surprise herself, for that matter.

Driving along now, she turned up the car radio and sang louder than ever. Even added a lung-busting harmony on the chorus for good measure. Maggie, you devil, she thought with a grin, indicating and moving into the fast lane.

‘Hey!’ Will opened the door with a cautious smile; the unconvincing sort of smile you might find yourself wearing when dipping a toe in the North Sea. ‘Hello, Maggie, do you want to come in for a cup of tea?’ Then he blinked. ‘You look different. New haircut?’

‘Ten out of ten for observation,’ she replied, smiling. ‘And yes please to the tea.’ Here she was again at Will’s house, but she was no longer the tense, uptight woman of her previous visit. Since then she had transformed, both inside and out.

‘Hi,’ she added joyfully as Amelia appeared in the hallway behind her father. As she saw her daughter’s shy smile again, she felt the old connection twanging between them, the invisible umbilical that had always linked them so closely, so tightly. Surely Amelia hadn’t grown taller in the scant few days she’d been here? No, she couldn’t have. Yet the separation, however brief, meant that Maggie could appraise her through new eyes. Just look at her, so leggy and gorgeous, with that cloud of dark hair and those amazing cheekbones. Her girl. Her wonderful girl!