‘Do you enjoy what you do?’

‘I sell insurance, Annie. I go to work for the paycheque and then it doesn’t cross my mind again once I clock out for the day.’

‘Hmmmm,’ I replied. ‘I do a lot of early starts and late finishes to be honest, and the odd weekend from my laptop at home. Stay one step ahead. Be prepared.’

We reached close enough to the shore that our feet could touch the ground. I pulled myself up to sit so that the water came up to my middle. I was cold, but I didn’t care. The horizon was starting to turn pink, making the ocean go on forever.

‘You could always do something else,’ Patrick offered, and I laughed.

‘I couldn’t,’ I said. ‘Especially not now. I need one constant in my life.’

Patrick shook his head, spraying water out all over me.

‘Hey!’ I said, reaching into the sea to splash him, the flirty love interest in a Nineties teen movie.

‘There’s one thing I think you’d be terrible at if you did switch careers,’ he said, splashing me back.

‘What’s that then?’ I asked, genuinely interested in his take.

‘Anything that involves keeping a secret or being stealthy.’

‘Being stealthy?’ I repeated. I didn’t get what he meant.

‘You’re the worst secret pee-er in the world, Annie. I totally knew you were having a wee out there.’

I squealed. ‘Argh!’ I said, laughing, burying my face into my hands, embarrassed. ‘Shut up!’

‘Nope,’ he replied. ‘Because you’re very cute when you blush.’

I splashed him again.

‘I’m serious though,’ he continued, once we’d settled back into conversation. ‘I told you about Mala, and I told you about how that taught me to carpe diem more, because fuck, I don’t know how else to make sense of life otherwise. If you don’t love what you do enough that you want to do something else, you should totally look into that.’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Maybe.’

‘Maybe?’

‘Don’t push me!’ I laughed. ‘The personal growth I am experiencing right now is already quite dramatic. One step at a time, boss!’

He pulled me up and we towelled off before walking the length of the beach to investigate the barbecue food Bianca had recommended. I checked my phone for a Carol update, but there wasn’t anything.

‘Can we send another joint prayer out into the world for the dog, please?’ I asked him.

‘Still no news?’ he asked.

I shook my head.

‘I’m wondering if I should let Alexander know she’s missing. She was his dog too …’

‘Does he know you’re here?’ Patrick asked, as we passed a couple of teenagers making out on a blanket, so ferociously it was almost obscene.

‘Alexander?’

‘Uh-huh.’