After listening to some beautiful words from a celebrant friend of Alice’s, followed by a hauntingly beautiful bagpipe solo that Peter had arranged, Elle couldn’t help but feel relieved that in the end Gran had decided against being left behind at Stormeil. This was what Gran deserved—to be surrounded by her family.

As the last stirring notes of the song faded, Elle passed the box she cradled to her father at the edge of the cliff and watched as he gently released the contents. The wind picked up some of the lighter particles and a small cloud of almost invisible ash was swept upwards, until it disappeared completely.

Elle felt her mother’s arm around her and she rested her head against Caroline’s as they stood silently for a moment, lost in their thoughts of the woman they had come so far to farewell.

She missed Gran’s presence desperately. What she wouldn’t give to hear her voice in her head just one more time.

A slight movement from the corner of her eye caught Elle’s attention and she looked across at a small grassy knoll just off to the side of the crowd. A teenage girl stood holding a baby, her dress blowing around her knees as she smiled happily across at Elle.

Gran. Elle’s breath caught as she recognised Gran from photos of her as a fifteen-year-old girl. Holding a baby.

Elle managed a watery smile, but her heart swelled with love. Gran was fine. She had found the baby she thought she had lost forever, and she was finally at peace. Elle watched as the image faded, blowing away with the wind, out across the ocean.

‘Bye, Gran,’ she whispered before turning away slowly, knowing this time, she was really gone.

They went back to Alice’s house for the wake. It was a hastily put-together event, but one that was filled with so much love and kindness that Elle knew Gran would have appreciated it.

She found Moira in her usual chair, a cup of tea sitting beside her untouched.

‘Can I get you another tea, Moira?’ she asked, touching the old woman’s hand gently.

The time away from Portsoy and everything that had happened since had erased the last of her anger for the part Moira had played in Gran’s sadness.

‘No, thank you, dear. But could you sit for a while?’

Elle smiled and sat on a fold-out chair that had been brought in to accommodate the extra guests.

‘She’s not here anymore, is she?’ the old woman asked quietly.

‘No,’ Elle said, wondering if Moira was fully present or not.

‘But you saw her, didn’t you? The last time we were here. You saw Iona.’

Elle opened her mouth in surprise, unsure how to answer. ‘Did you see her?’ she finally decided to ask.

‘Of course,’ Moira smiled faintly.