Jo thought back to when she was eight and her biggest worry was whether or not she’d get her poem published in the school summer magazine. She nodded, but then cringed inwardly when she realised her life hadn’t really moved on too much from that point. She still longed for validation from others. Then again, that’s something everyone needs, she thought.

‘And you? Is there a Mr Campbell, or a significant other in the background?’ Ewan asked, and immediately apologised. ‘Sorry. That’s absolutely none of my business.’

‘It’s okay,’ Jo said. ‘There isn’t anyone.’ She pushed away a fleeting thought of Lorcan. He was nothing to her, she told herself. ‘In the interests of full disclosure,’ she continued, ‘at the moment I’m living at home with my mum and Clara, while my dad works away. I do have a flat-share, but my roommate is moving in with her new man, so I’ve to find somewhere more suited to my price range. Preferably somewhere that is in my price range and doesn’t look like something very, very bad happened there. Which might be a problem.’

‘Yikes,’ he said. ‘That’s a tough one.’

‘Nah, not really. I mean, I have my parents to fall back on if needed. It’s not necessarily where I saw myself heading into my thirties. But Clara is going through some separation anxiety at the moment, so it’s probably a blessing in disguise.’

‘She clearly means a lot to you.’

‘She does. She’s so loving and pure. And she’s had enough to deal with in her life without more upset, so maybe it’s a good thing that I’m about to be officially homeless and may need to move back in with my parents.’

To her surprise, Jo found that tears were pricking at her eyes. She was terrified she was going to start crying, right there, beside Ewan McLachlan, who she’d only met the previous night and who she really wanted to impress.

She turned her head to look out of the window, watched as they drove the familiar roads through Inishowen in north Donegal towards Buncrana. She was dangerously close to being completely overwhelmed by her emotions. She would miss Clara more than she thought possible, even though Clara was not her child, and would be completely fine. But it was more than that too. Her chat with Ewan had made her realise how little she had achieved in her years on this planet. Even her flat, which she had made into a lovely home, would soon be gone from her.

Ewan didn’t reply immediately, which made Jo want to turn herself inside out with embarrassment. She very much doubted he’d planned on bringing a very emotional, crazy woman along to mentor. Perhaps he was already having second thoughts and trying to figure out how to shake her off and go it alone for the next few days.