‘There they are.’ A haughty voice carries towards us.

I look round and see my mother and stepdad, John, battling their way through the wind.

‘Come on, let’s get you inside.’ Dom puts his hand on the small of my back and gently urges me forward. ‘They can catch us up.’

‘I’m fine here.’ I stubbornly resist his instruction. ‘We used to go out running in this, remember?’

‘Right.’ Dom purses his lips and removes his hand from my back. ‘So, are you going to give me a manual then?’

‘What?’ I look at him searchingly.

‘You know. So I know when I’m allowed to be caring and when you want me to back the hell off.’

‘Dom, don’t be like that,’ I say through gritted teeth, trying my best not to lose my patience with him. ‘I’m just… I’m OK here.’

‘Alex, dear, you shouldn’t be out in the cold.’ My mother rushes towards me, my stepdad trailing behind. ‘Dominic, get her inside. She’ll catch her death.’

‘Hasn’t that already happened?’ I plant a sarcastic look on my face and greet them both with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

‘You doing all right, love?’ John asks me, his kind features almost glowing in the half-light.

‘Improving every day.’ I smile brightly at him. ‘Shall we go inside?’

‘Yes, please.’ My mother grabs her scarlet chiffon scarf before it shoots off across the car park.

Making our way towards the hotel entrance, I deliberately take my time, so no one can see me struggle when I hit the invisible wall that’s materialised in my stamina. It wasn’t a lie that I’m improving, but it’s going a damn sight more slowly than I’d hoped.

As we approach the hotel reception, our wedding coordinator, Jasmine, appears from the direction of the bar and spots us.

‘Alex. Dominic. Lovely to see you both,’ she gushes, in her very wedding coordinator-esque way, her tonged blond hair bouncing energetically around her shoulders. ‘Alex, you are looking so much better than I expected. I was ever so upset for you when your mother told me, but don’t you worry about a thing. My team will make sure all your needs are accommodated.’

‘Err, thanks.’ I shift uncomfortably on the spot, wishing she wouldn’t be quite so theatrical and public about it. I’m also willing her to take us somewhere else, as my listless body nags at me for a seat. ‘Where are we tonight?’

‘We’ll be in Whitecraigs, our AA Rosette restaurant, for the tasting.’ She seems to suddenly think of something. ‘Oh now, I meant to call you… I contacted JLP Karaoke to ask about AV requirements and they said you’d cancelled them. I wasn’t aware.’

‘What?’ I assume a puzzled expression. ‘I didn’t cancel them.’

‘That was me.’ My mother pitches in. ‘You won’t have the energy for karaoke, Alex, and it’s a little… cheap.’ She says this as if it’s a dirty word.

My hackles immediately rise. ‘It’s not “cheap”. It’s called fun, Mother. You should try it some time.’