Then, what seems like minutes later but is only probably seconds, Martin comes to the sitting room door by himself, flustered, soaked from the rain and slightly out of breath. A cool shiver runs up my arms and goose bumps spring up on the back of my neck as I realize he is waiting on Matthew now to follow him in, but he isn’t looking down towards a chair. He seems to be watching Matthew at eye level. Could this really be happening?

Martin nods out into the hallway, spurring my brother on, and I feel a lump form in my throat and tears flow down my cheeks.

‘Oh Matthew! Oh my God, Matthew!’

I clasp my face in disbelief and everyone in the room falls silent, except for my mother’s gentle sobs as she watches her only son hold onto the doorframe and take small, shuffling steps in towards us. Emily gasps and I watch my dad wipe his eyes as he stands up to greet his boy.

‘I’d forgotten … I’d forgotten just how tall and fine a man you are, Matthew,’ he says, hugging him tight, then Mam, Emily and I join them in the middle of the sitting room floor in a group huddle.

‘More to the point, do you like my hair?’ asks Matthew amongst the sniffling and sobbing around him. ‘I thought a change would do me good.’

Mam ruffles his damp, bright blue hair and holds him into her again, and then Jack puts his arm around me, knowing I need his arms to stop me falling as I witness a moment I’ve been waiting on for so long.

‘I knew he’d do it,’ he whispers into my hair. ‘I knew it would just take some time, faith and lots of love.’

‘Thank you for everything, Jack,’ I say to my husband. ‘Thank you for believing in him and for believing in me all along this bumpy road. This has got to be the happiest day of my life. I’m so, so happy.’

I watch as Matthew gets all the praise he deserves for his determination and dedication to get back on his feet again, I watch as Martin looks on at every move he makes with beaming pride, I watch my sister and her husband who are both glowing with their impending parenthood, I watch Harry and Sophie argue over whose turn it is to take their dogs outside then agree to go together, and I watch my mam and dad whose love and guidance got us this far in life, no matter how many tears and struggles we’ve all felt along the way.