‘Life is not a dress rehearsal. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. You should be nice to those on the way up, because you don’t know who you might meet on the way down. You can’t be an everything to everyone. After all, it’s not the number of breaths we take, but the number of moments that take our breath away. Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery and today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present …’

Marcus and I try not to laugh. I mean, she’s literally Googled and read off some inspirational quotes. But, you know, the thought is there. When the service is over, everyone slowly makes their way out of the room, smiling solemnly to each other and muttering ‘great woman’, ‘a really lovely woman’. I manage to catch Rupert as I leave, overhearing others greeting him.

‘It’s Rupert, isn’t it? I’m Olive. I texted you about coming to the funeral. I am – was – Dorothy’s neighbour.’

‘Oh, hello Olive. Thank you so much for coming. I know Dorothy would have appreciated it. I remember her speaking very fondly about you.’ Seeing the way Rupert’s eyes light up when he talks about Dorothy makes me wonder whether he might have been her boyfriend. It makes me smile to know she had so many people who loved her.

‘Really? That’s so lovely. You know, I always thought of Dorothy as a bit lonely,’ I say. ‘But there are so many people here, celebrating her life.’

Rupert laughs. ‘Why, what made you think that, dear?’ he asks, warmly.

‘I don’t know. She once gave me her number as she was worried about falling over.’

Rupert laughs, lightly. ‘I think Dorothy thought you were a bit lonely.’

‘Really?’

‘I remember her saying you seemed a little sad, and she said she wanted you to know she was there if you needed her.’

‘That’s … really lovely,’ I say, and reach for the note she wrote to me a few days ago but realize it’s in a different coat.

‘Dorothy had lots and lots of friends, Olive. And you were one of them.’

At this, I burst into tears. Marcus, shocked, scrabbles for a tissue in his suit jacket. Rupert says goodbye and Marcus and I sit down on two wooden chairs nearby.

‘That is the sweetest thing, because Dorothy was right. I had been sad. I was really sad and lonely. She must have seen me stumbling home late and watched me taking the bins out in my tracksuit after another long weekend in the flat on my own.’ I laugh through the tears. Marcus hugs me tightly.

Some people die too young. Some people die old. Some people get what they want. Some people never get what they want. Some people have different priorities, different dreams. Some people change their minds in small ways, some do a total 180. We’re all out here, making up our lives as we go along. There is no ‘better’ path. There is no ‘worse’ path. Each of us tries our very best to get through the weeks, months and years using what we have and what we were given, and the rest of it is just down to sheer luck. We make our own family – kids, friends, pets, neighbours, strangers, passions, memories – and we can shape other people’s lives in so many ways.