I put the jewellery box down on the table in front of her so she can ogle the enormous fucking diamond Athena helped me choose on Bond Street before Christmas. To say the woman extorted me that day is an understatement, but I’m hoping it’ll help me close the deal. Besides, I’m the one who’ll get to enjoy the sight of my diamond sparkling on Marlowe’s long, slender finger for the rest of my life.

‘I think he’s got one for you, too,’ Marlowe tells Tabs, giving her a gentle nudge.

‘I do.’ I open the larger box and hold it out to Tabs. In it is nestled a gold charm bracelet that I hope she will take as a sign of my commitment to her. ‘Tabitha Lily Winters, will you do me the honour of becoming my child in the eyes of the law?’ At her blank look, I add, ‘Will you let me adopt you, sunshine, so that I can be your legal dad?’

Marlowe, whose eyes did nothing more than grow moist during her own proposal, promptly bursts into tears. As usual, she’s happier for her daughter than she is for herself, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I may have been bowled over by her looks initially, but it’s her huge, selfless heart I’ve fallen in love with.

And honestly? I’m kind of relieved she’s happy. Asking a kid to let you adopt them without consulting their actual parent first could easily take a bloke from Grand Gesture territory straight into Dick Move terrain.

Tabs clamps her hand over her mouth, her eyes enormous, as she looks from me to her bracelet and back to me again.

‘Mummy, can we?’ she whispers through her fingers. The innocent readiness of her answer fucking crucifies me, and I tear up like a great big idiot.

Marlowe gathers her up in a huge side hug while she hooks her free hand around my neck, tugging me towards her. The sea may be pink and sparkling and wondrous, but it has nothing on the sparkle in those brown eyes of hers.

‘Is that a yes?’ I whisper against her mouth before she kisses me hard.

She pulls away. ‘Yes. Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes.’

I nod, screwing up my face against the godawful stinging in my sinuses. ‘Good, love. That’s very, very good.’ I want to kiss her again, want to dive in and never come up for air. But I have one more answer to collect before I do.

‘What about you, sunshine? Will you let me adopt you, too?’

‘Yes please,’ she whispers with a toothy grin before her face falls in confusion. ‘But shouldn’t we adopt you? ‘Cause there’s two of us and only one of you.’