Colleen stepped forward. ‘I think we’ve spent enough time talking about the past.’ She held up her cup of tea. ‘I propose a toast, to new beginnings.’

The guests repeated the toast.

Dana wiped a tear from her eye. ‘I would suggest we repeat those words one day with a glass of champagne in our hands instead of a cup of tea, but I can’t stand the stuff.’

Jess looked at her sister in surprise. ‘When did you taste champagne?’

‘Well, I haven’t,’ she admitted, much to the amusement of those around her, ‘but someone said it was like fizzy wine and I don’t like wine at all.’

Olivia rested her head against Ted’s shoulder. ‘We’ve reached the end, Ted,’ she said, smiling up at him.

Dana wrinkled her brow. ‘Is it rude of me to ask why the two of you never married?’

Ted ran a hand around the back of his neck. ‘I suppose we were too caught up in trying to find out what happened to our baby,’ he grinned at the girls, ‘or babies! We didn’t have time to think about anything else.’

‘Well, your search is over,’ said Jess.

Dana’s friend Patty came forward. ‘You’ve obviously got a lot to catch up on. Is there any chance you can stay for a bit longer?’

Olivia shook her head sadly. ‘No, I’d be for the high jump if I outstayed my leave, but I’ll be straight over to see the girls next chance I get.’

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly with Colleen and Dana telling Olivia and Ted all about Dana’s childhood, and the love and adoration Colleen and her late husband, Shane Quinn, had lavished on their adopted daughter. When it came to sharing what she knew about Jess’s time in Greystones, everyone agreed that this would only cause pain and upset which no one wished to revisit, so it was best if they left it in the past, the same as they had with Olivia’s father.

It was early evening when Olivia and Ted eventually said their goodbyes. Olivia clasped Dana and Jess’s hands in her own. ‘I shall miss you both terribly. We’ve such a lot to catch up on, so many birthdays and Christmases,’ she waved her hands in the air, ‘everything!’

Dana and Jess hugged Olivia goodbye. As Ted came forward for his turn, Colleen took Olivia in a warm embrace. ‘You’re a very special lady, Olivia Campbell, and I consider it a privilege having any part in looking after Dana, and Jess as well over the past year.’

Olivia’s bottom lip trembled. ‘I don’t know about me being special. You took in a complete stranger’s baby, and for that I can never thank you enough.’

Ted placed his hand in Olivia’s. ‘Time to go, Liv.’

Nodding, she hugged and kissed both girls, then hugged and kissed them again.

Waving goodbye as they ran down the street, they arrived at the station in the nick of time, for the guard was calling for people to board the train.