Knowing what it’s like in the summer, I came to the beach at Jacob’s Ladder. It’s where most people go to swim as there is sand when the sea pulls back away from the pebbles while the tide is out. I scan the beach for familiar faces, no longer afraid of being discovered. Although Jason was high when I spoke to him, I think the meeting went well and proved that maybe I have been afraid unduly. I notice some women around my age gathered with a group of children and toddlers and watch them intently, getting closer so that I can hear their names. The one in the middle is called Claire; I remember her. We were never friends but she may remember me enough to talk to me.

I take off my shoes and get up to walk towards the sea, past the women and through a toddler’s sandcastle.

‘Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,’ I say as I kick through one of the towers.

The child immediately bursts into tears at the sight of the destroyed moat and towers.

‘It doesn’t matter, it’s nothing, really.’ The woman, Claire, jumps up and rushes over to him, quickly scooping him up and smiling at me.

‘I didn’t even notice it,’ I lie.

‘This is going to sound really weird, but do I know you? You seem really familiar,’ Claire says, checking me up and down.

‘I don’t know, I’m not local.’ I swallow hard and hope she doesn’t just dismiss me. I feel like she is more likely to open up to me if she doesn’t think I’m interrogating her.

‘No, there’s definitely something familiar about you. My name is Claire Thorpe, I used to be Claire Woods. Did you go to school with me?’

‘Oh, maybe. I used to live here. My name’s Felicity …’

‘Felicity! Flick! I knew I remembered you. They used to call you Fuck, because when you wrote your name out in cursive that’s what it looked like.’ Claire blushes as she speaks. ‘Why do I remember that? God, I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine.’ I laugh; I had actually forgotten about that.

‘Why don’t you come sit with us?’ she asks, gesturing to another woman with a small child, who waves back at us when she sees Claire pointing. I smile at the other woman.

‘OK.’