‘That it? It’s a nightmare. Now her son is throwing a fit because his sister gets to be part of the wedding and it will mess up the seating, my parents will have to move, which will mean that Ollie’s parents will have to move and Ollie’s bloody best man wants to not only bring his dog but give a speech that will be as dull as—’

Lily’s laughter cut through Victoria’s words like a knife. It wasn’t just a giggle, it was a full belly laugh that she couldn’t quit. Lily had to bend to relieve the strain as she tried to control the spasms wracking her chest. Sucking in desperate breaths between her laughs it felt … good. Good, as if she were letting go. Letting go of the hurt, of the panic, of the exhaustion that had led up to today.

‘Are you OK?’ Victoria asked, clearly very concerned about her.

‘I’m fine,’ she managed as the laughter began to subside. ‘I’m more than fine, V, and so will you be.’

‘But—’

‘But your cousin’s daughter can hold your bouquet, which is flowers, which makes her the flower girl.’

‘But you were supposed to—’

‘I’ll be holding my own, as will Malie and Zo, so there’s no reason why she can’t be in charge of your bouquet, with strict instructions not to damage it. We’ll move chairs from the back row on either side of the aisle and place them up at the front, so that your cousin and her daughter can sit on your side, and her husband and son can sit on Ollie’s. We’ll give him a little boutonniere so he’ll feel like a member of the wedding party too, and it will keep the brother and sister far enough apart for them not to argue. And the dog? Well, he’ll be fine. We’re outside anyway.’

‘I told you she’d fix it,’ Zoe said.

Lily wiped at the stray happy tear that had escaped. ‘V, this is a teeny tiny thing that is very easy to fix and in no way detracts from you, or Ollie, or your vows, or the love you are declaring today in front of friends and family who love you.’

‘Oh, Lils,’ Victoria cried, rushing over to give her a massive hug.

Lily closed her eyes the moment Victoria’s arms reached around her and held on. For Victoria, for herself, for that moment and for future moments. This was why she stayed in the cove. To be here, with her friends, to be loved and to love.

‘You’re getting married,’ she whispered to Victoria.

‘Shot!’ Malie called from the sofa, dodging a slap from Zoe.

‘We don’t have any vodka,’ Victoria replied, her voice slightly muffled from the embrace.

‘But we do have Reserve. So, bucks fizz anyone?’ Malie said, swinging the bottle in her hands.