I have to admit, I’m very lucky. I’ve got the nicest dad and the most wonderful fiancé. Meeting Lucas was the best thing that ever happened to me and the timing was perfect. I was still trying to get used to my life without Faye. Learning to make decisions on my own. I missed her backing me up, telling me what to do and pumping up my confidence. It took a while for me to trust my own opinion because I had always run everything by her first, especially when it came to boyfriends. I wonder what she’d say about Lucas. Would she give him the thumbs up?

Amy drops me off right outside my apartment block. She’s not supposed to because it’s a one-way system but she said certain rules don’t apply when you’re getting married. Certain rules don’t apply to Amy full stop when it comes to driving. We say our goodbyes. We won’t see each other again until the hen party on Saturday night. Walking away from the car, I try to ignore the fear inside me. I can’t let it ruin my hen party so I force myself to think about the weekend ahead. The laughter. The drinks. The fun. The dancing. I allow myself to picture what I’m going to wear. The new dress that I bought last month in anticipation of a wonderful crazy night with the girls. I see us all downing shots on the count of three and a wave of excitement surges through me. This is my hen party and it’s going to be some craic.

Lucas is standing in the kitchen when I walk into the apartment.

‘How did it go?’ he says, wiping his hands on a tea towel.

‘Great, I love the dress but you won’t believe who was there.’ I hang my coat on the hooks at the back of the door and kick off my shoes.

‘Who?’

‘Rose.’

‘Rose, the famous auntie that you hate?’

‘Don’t say hate,’ I say; Mam didn’t like me using that word.

‘Well, dislike a hell of a lot, then,’ he says.

I laugh, sitting on the sofa. ‘Well, at least it’s done with now, I don’t have to worry about seeing her for the first time in three years on my wedding day.’

‘I tried to call you but there was no answer, I didn’t know if you wanted me to keep you some dinner. I did anyway, it’s in the microwave.’