‘Look at the size of Valentine’s ice cream!’

‘When you eat it in a cornet, there’s no calories. It’s a fact.’

‘What’s Dracula’s favourite flavour of ice cream?’

‘Dunno. Garlic?’

‘Veinilla.’

‘Argh, that’s so corny!’

‘Did you see that man in his budgie smugglers?’

‘I can never un-see it!’

‘You shouldn’t have been looking . . .’

‘What about when Harry tried to eat that woman’s sandwiches!’

Which was somewhat less funny, but still.

Only Gisele remains silent. I look at her now, sitting next to Valentine in the passenger seat. With her window wound down, she’s gazing out as the scenery flashes past. I wonder what she’s thinking. I wonder if she can remember any of their previous day trips, or even today’s. I think about how we’re always told to live in the moment. Since getting Harry, he’s taught me that more and more, but after spending the day with Gisele and Valentine it hits me even harder.

This time it’s a straight shot home, as Valentine has agreed to let me do the directions. But after we’ve been travelling for an hour the van begins to stutter and cough.

‘Is everything OK?’ I ask.

‘Aye, it’s nothing.’ Valentine bats away my concern.

We continue on for a few minutes and I’m thinking I probably imagined it, when gradually we begin losing speed. Followed by a few more hiccups. And then the engine cuts out and the camper van grinds to a halt. Luckily we’ve managed to freewheel into a lay-by.

‘Is it the engine?’ Will cranes his neck to try and see the warning lights on the dashboard, but having been built in 1967, there are only a couple of dials.

Valentine turns the engine. It doesn’t start.

‘Have we broken down?’ Maya looks up from her phone.

I make a shushing sign and gesture at Gisele, who’s looking alarmed.

‘I want to go home,’ she says now. ‘Can I go home?’

‘Of course you can, love, I just need to get her started.’ Valentine tries to reassure his wife.

‘Can I help at all?’ I force a cheerful tone.

‘Well, that depends.’ Valentine pushes back his cap and scratches his forehead.

‘On what?’ Will shifts seats so he’s nearer to the front. ‘I know a bit about engines. I can take a look under the bonnet, if you’d like.’

‘Well, you won’t find much wrong there.’

‘How do you know, before we’ve looked?’

‘Because we’ve run out of petrol.’ Pointing to the gauge on the dash, Valentine looks abashed. ‘I forgot to fill her up.’

For a moment there is silence as this reality sinks in.

‘I wrote it on the list and everything,’ he continues. ‘I don’t know how I forgot, it must have been with all the excitement.’

‘Are you a member of the AA?’ asks Maya hopefully.

By the expression on Valentine’s face, it’s evident he’s not, and he looks quite upset.

‘Don’t worry, I am,’ I say, quickly digging out my phone and dialling them, but immediately I’m put on hold.