He took her hand again and leaned across to kiss her. Who’d have thought a few months ago that he’d be drinking bubbly and wearing a suit?

The waiter served wild salmon for Maddy and steak and ale pie for Max before topping up their glasses.

‘Have you thought any more about selling the cafe?’ Max asked.

‘Not really. I might sell Dad’s shop first and go from there.’

‘When did he buy it?’ He tucked straight into the pie.

‘My granddad bought the freehold in the 1960s. Dad left half to me and half to Mum but with the stipulation that the sale of the antiques then the rent went to her during her lifetime.’

‘So you’ve had no income from it?’

‘Not until recently. All I’ve had is what I’ve earned from the cafe.’

‘That seems a bit mean,’ Max said. Maddy was hardly touching her food.

‘Not really. Mum paid the bills and I did everything else for her. I suppose he didn’t plan for things to work out the way they did.’ She gave a wry smile.

‘It sounds like she never really let you grow up.’

‘I think part of her was worried I’d end up like her one day.’

‘So was she punishing you?’

‘In a way. She thought I’d betrayed her.’

‘Did you?’ He finished his food, scraping the plate clean.

‘Let’s say I tried to shelter her from the truth.’

‘Are you going to eat that?’ Max asked. The waiter was standing at the table.

‘I think I’ve had enough thanks, sorry.’

The waiter took their plates.

They shared a raspberry pavlova and finished with coffees.

‘You must miss your parents a lot,’ Maddy said.

‘Not anymore.’ He looked down at his empty plate. ‘They didn’t actually die in a plane crash. I only tell people that because it’s easier. It means I don’t have to explain what they really did.’

‘It must have been something bad for you to lie about it.’

‘It was.’ He told her the whole story about how they upped and left one night leaving him and Gran a goodbye note promising to call for him to join them. But they never did, and the disappointment grew deep in the core of him like rings in a tree with each year that passed.

‘That’s so sad. I’m sorry they did that to you. It sounds like we’ve both had a tough time.’

He nodded. There weren’t many people he’d been able to trust like this.

Maddy held up her glass. ‘These last few months have been wonderful, Max.’