The presenter introduces Tor and talks about the Home Help charity. This is being broadcast on the radio, but she’s talking on Zoom to the presenter in the studio. He announces that there’s a short video interview he’d like to play her.

She’s surprised to see Arek and she blushes as she listens to him speaking about his involvement in the charity’s work and how much Tor does. Then Vic joins in.

Tor’s touched to see that Vic has smartened himself up.

‘I don’t know what I’d have done, if it hadn’t been for Tor. Especially at Christmas.’

Lotte squeezes Tor’s hand.

‘She’s always friendly. When her friends, Claire and Maddy, told me about the awards thing, I said I couldn’t imagine anyone deserving it more.’

‘Oh my God,’ she whispers. Because now she realises that it’s Claire and Maddy who have nominated her. The penny drops now, as Tor remembers Claire and Maddy talking to Arek and Greg. And she picked up something in the sea the other day between Dominica and Maddy. They all knew about this? This is happening because of the Sea-Gals?

‘Did you know about this?’ she whispers to Lotte, who nods.

‘We all voted,’ she says. ‘It was Claire and Maddy’s idea. We talked about it when I did her hair.’

All that time ago? Tor thinks.

‘Tor … Tor, are you there?’ the presenter asks, and Tor grins.

‘Yes, I’m here. Thank you so much.’

‘No, it’s us who need to thank you,’ she says. ‘Your award and a thousand pounds towards your charity will be coming over to you later.’

‘That’s amazing, but I really need to say some thank yous. To the people who nominated me – my swimming friends, the Sea-Gals Helga, Maddy, Dominica and Claire. But I also want to thank the one person who’s kept me going. Who’s made me believe in myself.’

She turns to Lotte and smiles. ‘I want to thank my girlfriend – my partner – Lotte, who’s right here. I love you. I couldn’t have done this without you.’

Lotte’s eyes fill with tears.

‘That’s so lovely. Thank you, Tor,’ the presenter says. Then before she knows it, the interview is over and they’re off air.

‘I can’t believe you said that,’ Lotte said. ‘On air. Everyone is listening.’

‘I hope so,’ Tor says with a grin.

And then her phone buzzes and she gives Tor a look and turns the phone round. It’s her mum ringing.

As she goes to answer, Tor asks, ‘Can I ask them over? To spend a day? To meet you properly?’

‘I thought you’d never ask.’

Lotte insists on spending a fortune in Waitrose for a celebratory picnic the weekend after the awards ceremony. She’s nervous and Tor has never seen her so skittish as she sets up the deckchairs on the beach. Tor checks her phone, knowing her parents are having a nightmare parking. She finally sees them and waves to them as they come down to their spot on the beach.