Other passengers were swimming past us now but I kept a steady pace. The island we had left a short time ago didn’t look too far away but it was an age before we reached the shallows, where we stood and stumbled, hand in hand, flopping onto the sand.

My chest was on fire. Each breath hurt. It was an effort to speak.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked her. ‘We need to get you checked out. You and the baby.’ Even on dry land I was horribly worried about them and it occurred to me that I always would be. As a father and a husband, I should be.

‘I’m okay, but… but Adam…’ She covered her face with her hands and I wrapped my arms around her. Held her as she cried.

‘Shh,’ I soothed. Over her shoulder I could see a small lifeboat crammed with people heading back to shore but there was still a person clinging to the railings of the yacht. Were they a swimmer? An adult? In my mind I saw that teddy bear, fur sodden with sea water, hopeful yellow ribbon tied around his neck.

‘I have to go back.’

‘Adam! No!’ Anna clutched my arm.

‘There’s still somebody on board. Say they can’t swim? Think how scared you were, Anna.’

‘Please don’t!’ Her fingers dug into my wrist. ‘It isn’t your responsibility.’

‘Anna, there were children on board.’

My eyes held hers until she loosened her grip on my wrist and nodded. ‘Be careful.’

I kissed her hard. ‘I love you, Star.’ And then I was running back into the sea. Swimming back towards the yacht.

But I was tired. My legs aching. Body slow.

I counted the strokes in my head. Slowly. Methodically. I was about halfway and the urge to rest was immense but Anna was back on the beach, alone and scared, and my arms continued slicing through the water, my legs kicking hard.

Back at the yacht I reached the stray passenger. It was an elderly woman on her knees, desperately clutching the railing.

‘Jump,’ I called.

‘I can’t swim.’ Her voice was paper-thin.

‘It’s okay. I’m a strong swimmer.’ But the adrenaline that had surged through my veins was leaching into the salty water. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep going.

I was tired.

So tired.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Anna

Despite the sun blasting out heat, I was shivering. My teeth chattering together. My legs precarious, too unstable to support me.

Adam.