‘Come for a swim after work,’ Tor has written.

‘So, what’s been happening?’ Bonnie says, coming over and standing by her cubicle. She dips a chocolate biscuit in her tea and takes a bite. Lockdown has aged her, Dominica thinks, looking at her grey roots, and she’s put on at least a stone. Doesn’t she know about Chris? It’s odd that she hasn’t mentioned it, but then again why would she know? Dominica is used to a level of honesty with Emma and her friends, with all parts of her life being visible, but now she feels like she’s wearing invisible armour. Her work guard is up.

‘You’ve been keeping fit. I can see that,’ Bonnie says.

‘I’ve been sea swimming.’

‘Blimey, you’re brave.’

Dominica doesn’t think of it as brave, so much as necessary. ‘Actually, I’m doing a dawn swim for my friend’s charity soon.’

‘I can’t believe you’d even think of getting in that freezing water at dawn. It’s still dark at dawn.’

‘I think that’s the point. To do something hard. To conquer it, you know. To highlight that no matter how dark things get, there’s always hope.’

‘Yeah, well, good for you. Put me down for a tenner if you want sponsorship. I’ll spread the word.’

‘Thanks.’

The day gets underway and passes in a blur of calls and meetings. It’s so strange, jumping right back in. It’s as if nothing has changed, but everything has. Dominica had expected her grief to have somehow diminished her capabilities, but in some way it’s made it easier to function on autopilot.

But it’s also as if there’s an invisible barrier between her and everything she’s doing. She used to feel so needed, so up for troubleshooting, but the problems she’s used to dealing with no longer seem to matter. It’s depressing to discover how many of the small companies she usually deals with have folded in lockdown. The whole industry is on its knees.

By the end of the day, she’s exhausted, but she heads for the sea on her bike. She’s been dreading the routine of work, but going back to the empty house has been the bit she’s been dreading the most and she is touched that her friends know this and that a swim will help.

The light is fading fast so they all change quickly. Dominica decides to ditch her bobble hat for her swimming hat and, as soon as she’s in the water, she’s glad she has, because the swell is big and she takes the opportunity to dive through the centre of the wave. The water is freezing on her nose and cheeks, but God, she needed that, she thinks, as she comes up the other side.

She likes it when the sea is like this at high tide. It’s bouncy and you have to keep your wits about you to make sure you don’t swallow too much water. The sky is mottled with almost an animal print of blues and greys.