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Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Note to Readers
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. Chapter Ten
  17. Chapter Eleven
  18. Chapter Twelve
  19. Chapter Thirteen
  20. Part Two
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-One
  29. Chapter Twenty-Two
  30. Chapter Twenty-Three
  31. Chapter Twenty-Four
  32. Chapter Twenty-Five
  33. Chapter Twenty-Six
  34. Part Three
  35. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  36. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  37. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  38. Chapter Thirty
  39. Chapter Thirty-One
  40. Chapter Thirty-Two
  41. Chapter Thirty-Three
  42. Chapter Thirty-Four
  43. Chapter Thirty-Five
  44. Chapter Thirty-Six
  45. Part Four
  46. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  47. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  48. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  49. Chapter Forty
  50. Chapter Forty-One
  51. Chapter Forty-Two
  52. Chapter Forty-Three
  53. Chapter Forty-Four
  54. Chapter Forty-Five
  55. Chapter Forty-Six
  56. Chapter Forty-Seven
  57. Chapter Forty-Eight
  58. Chapter Forty-Nine
  59. Chapter Fifty
  60. Chapter Fifty-One
  61. Chapter Fifty-Two
  62. Chapter Fifty-Three
  63. Chapter Fifty-Four
  64. Chapter Fifty-Five
  65. Chapter Fifty-Six
  66. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  67. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  68. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  69. Chapter Sixty
  70. Chapter Sixty-One
  71. Chapter Sixty-Two
  72. Chapter Sixty-Three
  73. Chapter Sixty-Four
  74. Chapter Sixty-Five
  75. Chapter Sixty-Six
  76. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  77. Chapter Sixty-Eight
  78. Chapter Sixty-Nine
  79. Chapter Seventy
  80. Chapter Seventy-One
  81. Chapter Seventy-Two
  82. Chapter Seventy-Three
  83. Chapter Seventy-Four
  84. Chapter Seventy-Five
  85. Chapter Seventy-Six
  86. Part Five
  87. Chapter Seventy-Seven
  88. Chapter Seventy-Eight
  89. Chapter Seventy-Nine
  90. Chapter Eighty
  91. Part Six
  92. Chapter Eighty-One
  93. Chapter Eighty-Two
  94. Chapter Eighty-Three
  95. Author’s Note
  96. Book Club Questions for The Life We Almost Had
  97. Acknowledgements
  98. Extract
  99. Chapter One
  100. About the Publisher

‘No catch. It’s the launch of Webster’s Luxury Yachts. We’ve different-sized yachts available to hire for holidays and private functions. Today we’re giving people a taste by offering a trip to the island over there. We’ll bring you back later. There’s a couple of spaces left on the yacht leaving right now. It’s a beauty. There’s forty passengers on board and several crew.’

‘Anna?’

‘I’m so comfortable here.’

‘But we wanted to go to the island. I’ve never been on a yacht. It will be an experience we won’t forget.’

‘Okay.’ Anna reached for her sarong. ‘It had better be unforgettable.’

The yacht was larger than it looked from the land. On its shiny white side, Maria was painted in curling letters. The guests lounged on padded seats, and women in bikinis and sunglasses tilted their faces towards the sky, the breeze styling their hair. There was a small pool on board, not large enough to properly swim in but sizeable enough. A waiter offered us drinks from a silver tray – champagne for me, orange juice for Anna – telling us the pool could be covered at night to form a dance floor.

‘I could get used to this.’ I raised my glass and toasted. ‘To us.’

‘The three of us,’ Anna grinned. ‘Shall we go for a wander?’ We made our way down some stairs. The doors to the cabins were open for us to explore.

‘A double bed.’ I sat on it and bounced up and down.

‘What were you expecting? Bunks?’

‘Kind of. Josh would kill to see this.’

‘It’s not quite worth dying for,’ Anna said.

We carried on exploring. There was a bar with squashy sofas and a flat-screen TV. Music pumping from discreetly positioned Sonos speakers. Something loud with a thumping base.

‘Want to sit?’

‘No, let’s get some air,’ Anna said. On the deck she took deep breaths. I wondered if she had morning sickness. I guided her forwards until we were standing at the pointy bit of the yacht. The front. I put down our glasses before stretching Anna’s arms out to the side, circling her waist before I sang that Celine Dion song from Titanic.

‘Idiot.’ She rested her head back on my shoulder. The wind whipping her hair around my face – she still smelled of coconut. I slid my left hand to her stomach. Flat for now, but according to google there would be a bump there in the next few weeks. I had never been happier. I knew this trip would be unforgettable.

‘I love you.’ I kissed her neck.

‘I love you too.’

She stumbled as the yacht suddenly lurched to one side. Her free hand grabbed the railing. ‘What was that?’

‘Dunno.’ I cast my eyes around. No one else looked concerned.

‘Hope we don’t break down,’ she said.