‘Not by choice. They want to do a walking tour through the “mosaic-patterned streets of the old town”. Kids are gonna love that, aren’t they? Ken wants to do the Valley of the Nuns this afternoon, whatever the fuck that is.’

‘Might be fun?’ I said, giving my untouched plate to a passing waiter.

She eyeballed me. ‘I’m dying for a smoke. It’s not worth it with her watching me like a hawk.’

‘Where’s your husband?’

‘Where he always is, in the gym. He’s coming out with us today though.’ She painted on a smile. ‘It’ll be a lovely day, I’m sure.’

The tannoy called out, ‘Excursion Groups A to F to your Assembly Points, please.’

‘That’s us,’ said Jayde and set about getting the kids’ things together. ‘Might see you tonight in the dining room?’

‘Yeah!’ I said spryly, handing her Sansa’s floppy bunny, like Ivy’s pink bunny I’d nicked from her incubator, only grey. Another dart to my chest. I couldn’t get off that boat quick enough.

Bobby’s place was ‘within walking distance’, according to a map, so I walked to the Hotel Extasis, which was perched in the foothills of Ponta do Sol. But it took me over an hour to climb up there, encumbered by my bag and baby-belly-sans-baby and I was sweating cobs and panting like a bloodhound.

The hotel had a beautiful frontage, covered in a kaleidoscope of African daisy, bushes of camellias and blinding yellow mimosas swaying in the warm breeze. For a split moment in the time/space continuum, I thought everything was going to be OK. I was going to be OK. Sanctuary at last.

I crossed the cobbled courtyard on the shrieks and giggles of two little girls running around the pool up on the terrace. The noise chilled me – it was me and Seren, years ago. Same ages. Same colour costumes. I wondered if it was a sign that everything was going to be all right.

I soon learned it was a sign that everything was about to turn very bad indeed.

I was ushered into an office behind the Reception to wait for a woman called Dannielle and within moments, a 50-something perma-tan on vertiginous heels in a too-tight business suit tottered in. Her name badge read Dannielle Fairly-de Souza, General Manager. She was Bobby’s daughter.

‘Hiya,’ she sighed, plonking herself in the swivel chair behind the desk. She looked pissed off, like I’d dragged her away from something important, but as it turned out, it was her permanent way. ‘You’re Hilary, are you?’

‘Yeah. Bobby said to meet him here. Where is he?’