‘I felt it was better for her to stay, thinking that it would pass.’

‘And did it?’

‘Yes and no. Things settled down. There were no more incidents. But all her friends fell away, even her best friend, Lisa, and they had been so close. Beth became isolated. We tried to help, encouraging her to invite some of the girls over, offering to take her to discos or concerts, wherever her peers might be hanging out.’

‘It didn’t work?’

Abi shook her head. ‘She’s been so lonely. Mark and I were beginning to think she’d never find a friend.’

She smiled now, a warm rush of feelings going through her – gratitude, mainly. Any misgivings she had about Corinne seemed to quiet themselves. Abi looked towards the river and she saw the two girls bobbing about together. They were deep in the water, only their heads and shoulders visible. Beth had her arms slung around Corinne’s neck, both of them slowly spinning. There was something beautiful about the image – a serenity to their poise, their held gaze, the gleam of sunlight on the water around them, their faces in shadow.

As Abi watched, the thought came to her: they are in love.

It came to her naturally and without shock or warning. It felt like something blindingly obvious and yet she hadn’t seen it until now. She continued staring at them locked in their private clinch, impossible to look away. A cold feeling swept over her shoulders, the back of her neck, even though the sun was blistering down.

At that moment, her phone began to ring and she realized that she had been holding her breath as if waiting for something terrible to happen – an accident, a fall, swift and alarming.

Turning away, she rooted in her bag, expecting to see Mark’s number or Eva’s, but instead it was Richard, her boss.

‘Congratulations,’ he said as soon as she answered.

‘Oh my God, really?’ she laughed.

‘Really. You deserve it. The best candidate for the job, hands down. No question.’

‘Oh wow, that’s wonderful! Thank you, Richard!’

Excitement coursed through her, delight making her forget the heat, her anxiety over Beth, all the troubles clamouring inside her quelled by this news. They talked for a few moments about the next steps – contract negotiations as well as advertising to fill the post she’d be vacating – and all the while her brain was whirring with thoughts of what this meant.