‘Relax,’ Tor tells Lotte. ‘I promise. It’s going to be OK.’

Because she means it. She’s been so worried, but getting the award has somehow given her the boost of confidence she needs. When her mum rang straight after the awards, she sounded shocked about Tor’s acceptance speech, but Tor cut her off, inviting her for a picnic and her mum agreed.

Alice called immediately afterwards.

‘Lotte?’ she said. ‘Lotte your flatmate is your partner?’ She sounded excited and Tor put her on loudspeaker.

‘You’re on speaker. Say hello.’

‘The famous Alice,’ Lotte said.

‘Well, this is amazing,’ Alice says. ‘At long bloody last.’

‘What do you mean?’ Tor asked.

‘Do you think I didn’t realise you liked girls? I’ve known since we were about seven.’

Lotte bursts out laughing. ‘Oh my God, Alice. You should see her face.’

‘I don’t know if Mum and Dad know,’ Tor said, confused. How had Alice known all along?

‘Oh, don’t worry about them. Leave them to me. Oh, Tor, I’m so proud of you.’

Tor put down the phone and Lotte pulled her into an embrace. ‘Why do you bitch about her the whole time? She sounds great.’

Now Tor wonders what Alice has told her parents as they arrive. She hasn’t seen them since she dropped the bomb about her having RA at Easter and her mum has sent several envelopes full of pamphlets. She know she’s worried and wants to help, so she’s glad she’s here. She’s glad she’ll be able to see for herself how well Tor feels. It helps that they’re all by the sea. It feels like the best space to be having this meeting rather than in the house.

Tor kisses both her parents and, after her mother has offloaded about the parking situation, Tor introduces Lotte.

‘Mum, Dad, this is Lotte,’ Tor says. ‘Lotte – Rita and Roger.’

‘Pleased to meet you,’ Lotte says.

‘You’re partners?’ Tor’s mum checks, her eyes darting between her and Lotte. ‘You’re the one who does the hair?’

Lotte glances nervously at Tor. She’s had a cut and Lotte has dyed her hair back to its natural chestnut colour for the photo for the awards she had sent in.

‘Yes, that’s me,’ Lotte says.

Tor feels a stab of nervousness. Her parents aren’t going to be snobs about Lotte being a hairdresser, are they? When that’s the very least of all of her considerable talents.

‘You did a very good job,’ Roger says. ‘She’s very pretty when she doesn’t have purple hair.’

‘She’s very pretty even with purple hair, in my opinion,’ Lotte says, and Tor could kiss her for standing up for her in such a charming way.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,’ Tor says, ‘about us. But I want you both to be happy for me. Because I’m happy. Really happy.’

She smiles at Lotte.

‘I love her,’ Lotte blurts. ‘Unconditionally. Completely. I will take care of her, make sure she has everything she could possibly need and everything she wants,’ she adds, shaking Tor’s dad’s hand, then grabbing him in a bear hug.