It had taken three years for Henry to get Lily to walk down the aisle towards the same stunning wedding arch they had once stood beneath side by side. And although he’d grumbled, he’d appreciated that Lily hadn’t wanted to take away first from Malie’s wedding and then from Zoe’s. Unless he’d been willing to compromise and for them to have a three-couple wedding. Which he hadn’t. And Lily had secretly been happy with that.

Setting out the food drew everyone to the large blankets positioned around several wooden pallets, the offspring’s food taking up as much of the adults’ focus as their own. Laughter, the occasional screams from the children, one nappy change and an hour later, when Jamie asked – for the hundredth time – if they could light the lanterns, Henry checked the sky and finally agreed.

Lily had laid fourteen lanterns out along the sand ready to be lit, under the very careful supervision of the adults.

‘Trust you to find eco-friendly biodegradable paper lanterns,’ Malie gently teased, receiving an equally gentle shoulder nudge from Lily.

‘Why is there an extra one?’ Rose asked.

‘That one is for Claudia, who we’re remembering today.’

‘Was she the girl that died?’ Jamie asked, as accidentally blunt as any child who had not yet been touched by grief could be.

‘She was,’ Henry replied. ‘So today, we’re lighting a lantern for her so that wherever she is, she knows that there will always be a light shining in Hawke’s Cove, just for her.’

‘Is there one for Grandpa too?’ Rose asked.

Henry paused, but Lily smiled. ‘Of course, sweet pea. Do you want to get it? It’s in my bag on the throw.’

Their daughter scampered off to retrieve the one that she had kept aside, in case Henry had wanted to light one for his father too. He didn’t need to say it, she could see the thanks shining in her husband’s eyes, knew that it was right from the touch of his lips to hers, and the love that settled in her heart.

In pairs, each flame from each lantern was lit, then the long line of them – stretching across the sand – was soon released into the sky and watched by thirteen pairs of eyes and lifted by the hope and love in thirteen hearts as the lanterns drifted higher and higher into the night sky, prayers of thanks and love on everyone’s lips, to the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

Not long after, the husbands dragged reluctant – but sleepy and satisfied – children back to the estate where they were staying that night, leaving Lily, Victoria, Zoe and Malie at the beach.

‘I’m glad we did that,’ said Victoria as she stared up at where the lanterns were merging with the stars, drifting over Hawke’s Cove and beyond.

‘Me too,’ Zoe said.

‘Me three,’ Malie smiled.