As they pushed the trolley – Aggie sitting on top of it, the rest of them pushing from behind – through the revolving doors, Irene saw Adrian. He was looking for them to come from a different direction, so for a moment she had a chance to study him. He was dressed in jeans and a baggy, olive-green tee-shirt with some emblem she couldn’t read on the back. His arms and his face were tanned. He looked handsome, vigorous, utterly unfamiliar.

Then he turned and saw them. He raised his hand in greeting and Sasha and Clem ran to meet him, while Aggie, clambering down from the trolley, wailed for them to wait for her.

‘Daddy!’ said Sasha in an almost-sob and pressed herself against him. He lifted her up and kissed her on her lips, then swung Clem in a wide circle so her legs flew out. He bent down and hugged Aggie, pressed the tip of her nose. ‘Beep,’ he said and she giggled wildly. Irene stood behind the trolley and watched them.

‘Hi,’ he said, coming over to her. ‘Thanks for bringing them. It made it much easier, what with me coming down from Scotland and Frankie …’

‘It’s OK.’

‘Right, well. I’ll take them from now, shall I?’

‘You need their passports. Here.’

‘God, yes, what am I thinking of?’

‘I’ve put a spare pair of knickers and shorts in Aggie’s backpack for the journey, just in case.’

‘Fine.’

‘And Sasha has sucking sweets for take-off and landing. She gets earache in planes.’

‘Good. Do you want to, you know, say goodbye now. It’d probably be easier – Frankie’s waiting by the check-in.’ He gestured awkwardly.

‘Right.’ She turned to the children. ‘You’re going to have a fantastic time, I know. Give me a hug and be off with you.’

They could hardly be bothered with her. Aggie was already trying to push the trolley towards the queues and Irene had to kiss her on the top of her head. Clem gave her a brief squeeze. Sasha presented her cheek.

‘They’ll be fine,’ said Adrian.

‘Ring me sometime.’

‘Yes – it might be hard though. We’ll be in the middle of nowhere half the time.’

‘But if there’s any problem –’ She sucked her high, splintering voice down to its normal pitch. ‘Let me know.’

‘There won’t be. But if there is, you’ll know at once. Of course.’

‘At least when you arrive, so I know they’re safe.’

‘Fine.’

He started to turn but she put a hand on his arm, then dropped it at once as though she had been burned. She wanted to put her arms round his neck and drag him towards her and never let him go. She wanted to put her fingers round his neck and squeeze and squeeze until his eyes bulged in his stupid, handsome, young-again face.

‘Adrian?’

‘Yes.’