He asked if they could keep in touch at the same moment she asked him. A laugh, another kiss. She looked back as she reached the front steps. He was still there. Smiling at her. A final wave, one from her in return, and she went inside.

Chapter Forty

CHAPTER FORTY

Three days later, Eliza was sitting in the middle seat of a row at the back of a plane soon to take off on an eight-hour flight to Dubai.

‘Don’t be too sad, Eliza,’ Sullivan said beside her from his window seat. ‘Remember, Olivia said she’s hoping to get to Australia again soon, even for a quick visit. And Maxie said if you don’t come to New York, she’ll just have to go to Melbourne herself.’

Her godmothers had indeed said those things. But it was always hard to say farewell. They’d hugged her as tightly as she hugged them. Maxie would be leaving for New York herself in a few days.

Eliza had thanked them for more than usual this time. She thanked them for being so honest with her. For telling her the truth. For answering all her questions. For being there for her once again, as they always had been.

‘I hope it wasn’t too sad saying goodbye to your father?’ Eliza asked Sullivan. ‘Or your little sister?’

He shrugged. ‘Dad and I get on better on Skype than in person. I’m hoping me and The Baby will too.’

Eliza wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been Ann-Marie who took Sullivan to the airport. Instead, it was his father, Dean. He was in a suit, well-groomed, businesslike, harried. It was clear he had other places to be. He’d thanked Eliza as if she was the airport’s hired representative. He’d barely acknowledged Olivia or Maxie. He’d left before Eliza and Sullivan had gone into the departures area. Olivia and Maxie stayed waving until they were both out of view.

They’d had time to look around the duty-free shops and to have a snack in one of the airside cafés. It was while they were there that Eliza’s phone had rung.

‘Olivia?’ Eliza said, answering immediately. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Better than I could have hoped,’ Olivia said. Eliza could hear Maxie laughing in the background. ‘I’m sending you a photo I’ve just received.’

It arrived seconds later. Celine, in a gold bikini beside a pool, under a blue sky and bright sunshine. She was holding up a cocktail. That was it. No message. No caption. No thankyou.