‘Well you’d have realised you should be dating Noah ages ago if you hadn’t been so stubborn and admitted you were wrong!’

‘I didn’t know I was wrong. I wasn’t wrong at first!’

‘Rosie?’ It is a warning tone.

‘Okay, okay. But you did love Dad?’

‘I did. You know I did.’

I do. I just want to be sure. ‘Even though he was totally selfish and only came back when it suited him?’

‘Yes, Rosie, and not even passion made up for that in the end.’ I think of all the times I watched them together, the way they looked at each other, the way the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of them and for a brief time not even I was important. Maybe Mum was right. She would never have wanted to miss out on that passion, even if at the end of the day it hadn’t been right. She’d been brave. Far braver than I’ve ever been.

‘I found a way to make it work for all of us; well I thought it worked, but it obviously didn’t, or you wouldn’t have grown up to think all gorgeous men would be just like your father! I’m so glad you came to your senses and moved on from Robbie. You’d have been bored senseless by the time you were forty. So anyway I did that bit of making it work wrong, but I’ve done something right now, I’ve left. I am allowed to change my mind, darling. You don’t make one decision and it’s a life sentence.’

‘I know.’

‘And if you find out your Noah is all good looks, charm and no substance you can move on, can’t you? Not that I think he will be.’

‘I can, Mum.’

‘I’m sorry if we fucked up.’ Her voice has a wistful edge to it, as though it’s her one regret.

‘Mum!’ Honestly, I’m sure my mum didn’t talk like this before she met Art. ‘You didn’t fuck up, you did what you thought was best!’

‘True, and mother always knows best!’ She laughs, a deep-throated laugh that makes me smile. ‘I’ll be back soon to sort things out. Maybe we could all go out together? I’d love to meet your man. Now hadn’t you better get off?’

‘Yes, Mum.’

‘Have fun, love you, darling.’

‘I love you too, Mum. And Mum? Can you stop swearing? It’s weird, it’s just too weird.’

She laughs. ‘I’ll try! No promises though!’

I click the phone off, drop it in my handbag and take a deep breath.

This is easy. I might still not be sure about normal first dates, but this one I can do. I know I can.

Chapter 29

I take a moment to pause at the doorway of the bar, and study Noah, before he sees me. I want to take in my date, because this is unreal.

I am about to have a first date with a gorgeous man who I feel I know better than I ever knew Robbie – the man I lived with for years.