‘You can’t hug down a phone, dafty.’

I spin round and see her standing right in front of me, all goofy grin and wild red hair.

‘You’re here? What the… how…?’ I dive into her arms and we squeeze each other tight for a good thirty seconds.

‘I thought you could do with the moral support,’ says Sasha once we’ve pulled apart. ‘I know Matt’s here, but it’s still early days for you guys. Not the same as a bestie.’

‘Damn right. I can’t believe you came all the way down here for this.’

‘Well… I can’t honestly say it was just for this gig. I was going to tell you when I saw you later – I got the job. Have a couple of apartment viewings booked for tomorrow before I head home.’

My hand shoots to my mouth. ‘You’re really moving here? Like, really really?’

‘You never thought I’d do it, did you?’

‘I… um… argh, I can’t lie to you. I hoped you would. But I figured, you’re a nester, you’d eventually decide to stay where you were.’

‘No reason to now.’ Her lips tremble ever so slightly. ‘It was my mum that held me back from doing anything more adventurous. Filling my head with total BS, just so she would have me around to wait on her like a skivvy. Nah-uh. I’m claiming back my life.’

‘This is amazing, Sash.’ I rub my forehead, still trying to digest this fantastic news, then a thought comes to me. ‘Wait, what’s going on here? I’m supposed to be the rational, practically minded one who doesn’t get in a flap.’

‘I know, right?’ Sasha giggles. ‘And I’m normally the irrational, panicky one who’s paralysed by indecision over the slightest thing.’

‘Has there been some weird kind of spell put on us?’

‘Maybe. Or maybe we just all have good and bad moments in life. As I said, I learned from the best.’

‘I don’t feel like the best right now, Sash.’ I switch on the cold tap, plunging my wrists under it once more in a bid to calm my racing pulse. ‘I feel like Birmingham’s soon-to-be shortest-lived lead vocalist ever. And that’s just the problems of the next few hours. Beyond that, with Matt, Dom… I can’t even compute it.’

‘So, don’t. You can’t do anything about the guys right now. Just focus on the next few hours and enjoy the experience. The stage fright will pass. Lose yourself in the music and let your brain figure the rest out for you.’

I switch off the tap and look at her, appreciating her in this moment more than I ever have. ‘You’re so right, Sash. Thank you for turning up when I needed you the most. And now, I’m going to politely ask you to turn round and walk back out the door so I can fit in some last-minute voice warmups. But I can’t wait to see you again later.’

‘Me neither. Break a leg.’ She gives me a final hug, plants a kiss on my cheek and disappears back out of the toilets.