‘Hey, how are you guys?’ I walk over and give them a hug. I’d almost forgotten they were coming. Them and Miles. Shit. Miles, I must give him a ring and see where he is. With everything going on I hadn’t given him a second thought.

‘How’s Alfie? Is he feeling any better?’

‘Yes, so much better. It turns out when Brett had been making the purées he’d made a spinach, pear and sprout one, which is what caused the toxic bum situation.’

‘That’s good news,’ I say, grabbing on to his little hand and saying hello.

Brett pulls a face. ‘Not for his nappy it wasn’t.’

Soph hands him to me and I balance him on my hip as best I can. She makes it look so effortless, but it takes a few shunts to get him on the right bit of my hip bone. ‘Hey, little man, glad to hear you’re feeling better.’ I walk my fingers up his chest and then tickle him under his neck to make him laugh.

‘I’ll go and get the other bits from the car,’ says Brett.

‘There’s more?’ Joel gets up and stares at the pile of kit. ‘Do you need a hand?’

‘Actually, yes, thanks.’

Joel walks past Alfie and gives his hair a little rustle. I can smell his aftershave and it takes me right back to this morning on the beach watching the sunrise.

‘So, what have I missed? Did you check out the entire campsite? Is it all this swanky? What mischief did you get up to last night?’

I turn to Douglas, who puts his head back on the couch.

‘What happened? Why do you look so awful?’

She glances between us and her smile begins to fade at the expressions on our faces and I fill her in quickly on what happened to Douglas. She immediately goes and sits next to him and wraps her arms around him.

The patio door screeches again and Joel and Brett are back with more stuff.

‘Look who we ran into.’ Brett gestures with his head because his hands are full.

‘Hello,’ Miles says, hovering in the doorway looking around the lodge. ‘This is quaint, isn’t it?’

‘You should have seen the old caravans,’ says Joel.

‘Right.’

I walk over to him and he gives me a quick kiss all the while eyeing Alfie suspiciously.

‘This is Soph’s baby.’

‘OK.’ He backs away slowly and heads over to greet everyone else, pulling a bottle of whisky out of his overnight bag. ‘Just a little something to get the party started. Macallan, twelve year, double cask, just like we were talking about the other night. I know it’s a little early, but it’s five p.m. somewhere, am I right?’

Brett nods appreciatively, but he reads the room quicker than Miles who’s slipping the bottle out of its case.