Evie smiles back. Magda is a good friend. If there is a search for the love of Evie’s life, maybe it’s a futile one when Magda is stood beside her. She might be all the soulmate Evie needs, and she said as much last night after she got out of the bath: ruddy-cheeked and skin-shrivelled, all cried out for reasons she couldn’t articulate. Magda had understood. Evie hadn’t seen Duke again, and so he was lost to the wilderness – or the upper floors of the hotel. Evie wasn’t going to go up there again. It was desperate. He knows where she is if he wants her – but he hasn’t sought her out, so he obviously doesn’t.

‘Is that everything?’ the driver asks, and Evie nods.

‘Just … one moment.’ On a whim, she sets down her bag to rifle through her stuff for a pen and paper. On a small notecard she writes: No hard feelings. All the best, Evie x

She goes to the desk and asks them to pass it along to Duke. Then she hurries back to the taxi and says: ‘Okay. I’m ready.’

It’s a long drive to the airport, so they do indeed get to see the sun come up and kiss the sky, and Evie watches the cars going in the other direction, people obviously travelling to see family or friends for the holidays. There are cars packed with grown-ups up front and kids in the back – iPad screens lighting up faces and phones being peered at, trunks filled with boxes and gifts and luggage. Evie will go and see her mom on Christmas morning, and she’s pushed down thoughts of her, really, even when that horrible article came out about abandoning her. She knows the truth. Evie has never abandoned her mother. She was summoned here and ended up having the time of her life. She’s allowed to do that. That’s okay. Evie absent-mindedly rubs a hand over her arm, where her new tattoo is. Cite your source.

‘Are we doing Chinese on the 25th?’ Magda says, breaking through Evie’s reverie. It’s natural they’re both thinking about the big day, considering that’s what everyone is flying home for. The adventure is over – of course they’re thinking about what is next.

‘A nice big sleep-in,’ Evie says, looking at her lovely, kind, adventurous soulmate of a friend. ‘Eggs Benedict for breakfast, then Christmas movies and Chinese with champagne for dinner? Maybe a brief walk with the dog to see the lights so we at least get some fresh air?’

‘Perfect,’ Magda says. ‘My first Christmas as a divorcée. Jesus. Who’d have thought it?’

‘You’ve not talked about it much these past ten days,’ Evie reflects. ‘I know you’re still feeling feelings about it …’