Frogs lived at the water’s edge. Corinne had pointed them out to her, their tiny slick forms splayed on the rock or crouching among the weeds. Beth had felt so happy then, before her family arrived, so relaxed and at peace. Now her insides were churning, rage pummelling the undersurface of her skull. What did Abi want from her? On the one hand she was telling Beth to grow up, but with the next breath she was berating her like a child. Corinne was right – her mother was clueless as to how to speak to her, emotionally retarded.

‘Look, I didn’t mean to upset you,’ Abi said, adopting a gentler tone. ‘I only want what’s best for you.’

Still Beth said nothing.

‘So, what have you girls been doing during your stay? How have you spent your time?’

Beth shrugged, then mumbled something about hanging out together, swimming, her answers vague and non-committal.

‘Did you see much of the other girls from your school while they were here?’

‘A bit. Not that much. We tended just to do our own thing.’

‘I bumped into Sasha Harte’s mother in the supermarket. Sounds like Sasha had a good time.’

‘Great,’ she said, her voice impassive.

She could feel her mother’s hot gaze and knew Abi was straining towards further questioning, worry knitting through her faltering silence. Beth kept her eyes on the clump of weeds by the bank, where the willow tree dipped into the water. Rats lived there, Corinne had said.

‘I just want you to be happy,’ Abi said, ‘to be kind to others as well as to yourself. It’s important.’

The words jarred, stirring up questions in Beth’s head, but she said nothing, allowing a silence to open up between them. Eventually, Abi turned, casting a glance back at the house.

‘Your dad should be ready now. Why don’t you get your things and come with us, hmm? We thought we’d go towards Angles and rent some canoes. Eva’s keen. How about it?’

‘Can Corinne come too?’

Beth kept her gaze on the riverbank, but she didn’t need to look at Abi to know her jaw was tightening.

‘Can’t we have a day to ourselves? Just the four of us?’

‘We can do that anytime we’re back in Dublin,’ Beth said, quiet, determined. She felt her mother waver, hovering on the brink of argument.

‘Very well,’ Abi relented. ‘But I would like to spend some of the holiday just the four of us. It would be nice to have my family to myself for a change.’

Something slipped from the riverbank. A small splash, and then the sleek back of the rat breaching the surface.