‘Come on, then, let’s be having them.’

Rowan led the way into the crowded bar. A Friday night in the centre of town, it took some looking to find the friends we were after. There was an overlap in our friendship circles – some who had dated once, some who had slept together, some who still were dating – and we eventually found them huddled in small clusters near the back of the room. Beatrice – who everyone had known as Betty since midway through primary school, much to her mother’s dismay – was the first to spot our arrival. She was talking to Ian – one of Rowan’s housemates – but she immediately paused him, holding a finger up to halt him mid-sentence, and she coughed loudly to catch the attention of others. I felt Rowan squeeze my hand then – the left hand, still, carefully concealing the ring – before he leaned in to kiss my cheek.

‘Right, folks, thanks for giving up your Friday night—’

‘For a piss-up in town? What a travesty,’ Hamish shouted from the back of the group. He nudged the lads either side of him, George and Leonard, who laughed like they didn’t mean it. To their credit, they were nice guys. Unlike Hamish who was, from what I knew of him, a total arsehole.

‘Nice one, Hamish,’ Rowan replied in a half-hearted way. ‘Anyway, thanks again for coming along tonight because Edi and I have got some news that we’d really like to share with everyone. We thought getting you all together like this would be the best way …’

And suddenly I erupted. ‘We’re engaged!’ Rowan shot me a look while the rest of the guests roared in applause and excitement. ‘You were taking too long.’ I was about to apologise but I was soon swept away on a sea of squeals as people flocked around me.

‘Edi, congratulations!’

‘Let’s see the ring, then.’

‘You must tell us how he proposed.’

Their excitement was soon matched by a second chorus.

‘Finally putting a ring on it, lad.’

‘Congratulations, Row, she’s a star.’

‘Yeah, fair play, mate, you bagged a good one,’ Hamish added, and he didn’t sound entirely insincere in the well wishes. ‘Shame about all the women you didn’t sleep with yet, eh?’

My mistake, still a tosser. I tried to let the comment go and give myself over to the excitement of my friends instead. Betty, Cora, Molly and Faith were all there – carried through from primary school, including the highlights and extended editions of mine and Rowan’s relationship saga. There hadn’t been many tears to get me through, but what there had been they’d been there for.

‘I’m genuinely chuffed for you both.’ Faith pulled me into a hug. ‘Sad for myself though.’