‘You should do. She sounds wonderful.’

‘She was. So was Dad, he was a hugger before it became popular! Mum’s fault.’ He grins. A lopsided grin that is a little bit sad and fades from his face as quickly as it appeared. ‘But he found it hard when she went.’

‘Like Jed did?’

He nods. ‘Like Jed did. And after losing Mum, losing Millie seemed like somebody was telling me that falling in love is an idiot’s game.’

We sit in silence for a moment. Watching people stride past us through the park. Seeing the children play, but I don’t think he really hears or sees any of it.

He’d watched two men he admired, with a huge capacity to love, lose it all. Which led him to draw his own conclusion that it was safer not to give your heart away in the first place.

‘Losing Mum was the most painful thing that had ever happened to me.’ He says the words as though he’s shocked, as though he’s never said them before, never thought them before. ‘It kind of ripped something out of me,’ he says as though he needs to make it clear. Then he looks at me, his direct gaze clear and unflinching. ‘I missed her. I’ve never stopped missing her.’ Oh God, I must not cry. I must not. The heat of tears burn inside my eyelids, I bite down on my bottom lip. Nod. Try to keep control.

His own eyes well up; there’s a tremble in his fingers as he twists his hand in mine. ‘I missed her like hell, and I miss Millie too.’

I do hug him then. I can’t help myself. I throw myself at him and hold him tight. He nuzzles against my neck, his tears damp on my skin and he clutches me so hard it feels like he’s never going to let go.

‘Sorry.’ His voice is muffled against my skin, then he pulls back slightly. Awkward. A strained smile on his face. He takes a steadying breath, wipes his palm over his face. ‘God, I don’t know what came over me, sorry, I’ve been doing too much thinking lately, not enough work. This wasn’t what I had planned when I texted you.’ His normally even voice still has a heart-breaking tremble in it. ‘Must be the weather, or my age, or something.’

‘It must be.’ I try and match him, lighten things.

‘Or you.’

I swallow, not able to take my eyes off his face. Can I say I’ve missed him, or is that too much?

He edges away slightly, conscious of our touching thighs, our linked fingers. ‘Jed said he’d seen you.’

‘Oh yeah, yeah, he came in the shop. He sounds like he’s feeling better these days?’ He nods. ‘He’s even dating Bea!’

‘Mad man!’ He laughs, and the mood brightens. ‘So, what about you? How’s the dating going, anything to report back on?’

‘No dates.’ He raises an eyebrow. ‘I’ve been busy, and, er, not in the mood. What about you?’