She opened the door, and in the large hallway her aunt and uncle and Isla were waiting. There was a Welcome Home sign, and balloons everywhere. Her family shouted, “Welcome home!” Then they pulled some party poppers, shooting streamers in the air.

“Wow, thanks.” Mack hurried over to them. She hugged her aunt, the matriarch of the Sharkey family, and as fearsome to outsiders as her uncle Thomas had ever been.

“We’re so glad to have you home, Mack. Your mum has missed you so much.”

“Thanks for looking after her for me, Aunt Chrissy.”

Uncle Thomas grasped her and patted her back. “You were missed.” Then he cupped her cheek and said, “You and I will talk later, but we are so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Uncle Thomas.”

That statement made Mack so happy. Uncle Thomas had been her father figure since her mother left her dad when she was very young, and she looked up to him so much. Mack didn’t share his love of business and figures like Nikki did, but his unshakable loyalty and kindness to his family was something she always sought to emulate.

Mack then turned to her quiet little niece, who was smiling broadly. She held out her arms and used a particularly Scottish term of endearment for a small child. “Come here, wee barra.”

Isla jumped into Mack’s arms and squeezed her tightly. Isla had a special relationship with Mack. Nikki adored her daughter and lavished as much time on her as running the Sharkey family would allow, but Mack gave her something different. She made her laugh and feel light-hearted. Mack was the silly one, the childlike one, who loved nothing more than playing with Isla.

“I missed you, Mack.”

“You too, we’ve got so much to catch up on.” Mack gave her a big kiss. “Where’s your mum?”

“She sends her apologies, but she still has some business to be finished in Paris. She’ll catch up with you in a couple of days,” Thomas said.

Her mother said, “But there’s someone else who’s dying to see you.”

“My baby?” Mack said excitedly.

Her mum signalled to Isla, who smiled and ran off to open the kitchen.

A small dachshund came running out, wearing a cute little jumper and a bow tie. Mack fell to her knees and held her arms out. The dog stopped for a second, not expecting to see Mack, but when he realized who it was, he shot over to her at top speed and nearly bowled her over.

“Dexter! I missed you so much.”

Dexter was quite simply the love of her life. Nobody expected the big and feared Mack Sharkey to have a dachshund, but those on the outside didn’t know the true loving softie that she could be.

Her little pal went everywhere with her, and it had broken her heart to leave him for so long.

“I love you too, Dex.”