Ben’s eyes filled with tears, which he blinked away in frustration. Why were his emotions on such a hair-trigger all the time? Bella was right. He had become so incredibly wet, even to himself.

‘I think you’ve just answered my question.’ Jo watched him sadly, shaking her head with a helpless expression.

‘No!’ Ben cut in quickly. ‘No, I’m just feeling a bit emotional being back here for the first time since Dad … well, since the funeral.’ He couldn’t bring himself to use the word ‘died’. ‘Honestly, for the most part, Mum, I am happy. I mean, no one’s happy all the time, are they?’

As he spoke, he wondered when he last had truly felt happy. With a start, he realized that it was when he was still with Charlotte. Even on what should have been the happiest days with Bella, such as Elodie’s birth, there was always an undercurrent of tension that meant he was constantly treading on eggshells, in case he stepped onto the invisible trip-wire that would set her off.

‘Charlie doesn’t think you’re happy.’ Jo’s voice cut through his thoughts. ‘She’s really worried about you, Ben. We all are. Matt, Freya, Emma …’

Ben looked up at Jo again. ‘I wasn’t happy the day that Charlie paid us a visit. She laid it on pretty thick about you being so lonely and it made me feel terrible, to think that you had all been discussing me behind my back.’

Jo smiled wryly. ‘We’d have discussed you to your face if we’d had the chance, Ben!’

Ben laughed softly. ‘Fair enough, I suppose. Anyway, it wasn’t a great day and she caught me at a bad moment.’

‘Look,’ Jo reached out to take Ben’s hand. ‘I’m sorry if you were caught off-guard. We just didn’t know what else to do. We all miss you so much and if you can’t come to us, the only other option was for one of us to come to you. We just needed to see for ourselves that you were OK. And for my part, I’m glad she came to see you or I don’t think we’d be sitting here now, would we?’

‘Maybe not,’ Ben agreed. ‘I suppose I’m glad she came, too. It was nice to see her.’

In truth, seeing Charlie had been incredibly painful. It had re-ignited feelings that he thought were long-buried. She was so warm compared to Bella’s coldness. So easy-going in contrast to Bella’s exhausting testiness. He could still feel her love. She knew everything about him and their connection was as strong as ever. Without having to say a word about what was happening to him, he could tell that she knew. Because she knew him.

Jo tilted her head slightly. ‘I think she will always regret letting you go.’

‘Don’t,’ Ben cut in with a warning tone, shaking his head. ‘Don’t go there.’ He couldn’t bear to think of what might have been, if he hadn’t met up with Bella that night and put an end to all hopes of a reconciliation with Charlotte.