‘You know well what it is,’ she said, flipping open the cover of her new phone. ‘Mark my words, the day will come when everyone in the village has one of these. Even our parents.’

‘Dream on,’ said Conor.

Tess winked. ‘I do love calling the Minogues now that Emmet’s decided I’m worth talking to. Sometimes I reckon I can actually hear him squirm.’ Meeting Nina’s father also gave her a delicious buzz. The last time she’d been home, she’d made a point of calling up to the house. Surprise, surprise, she was no longer barred.

While she spoke to Nina, Conor pulled into Kilmitten. The sky was streaked with neon, the pinks and oranges a sign of another fine day ahead. A sliver of moon, like the top of a fingernail, hung over Toomey’s Hill. They stopped outside the Fortunes’ house on Pearse Terrace. Tess noticed that the façade had developed a new crack. Before long, she should have enough money to buy her mother a house. Nothing flash. She’d recently bought an apartment in London and couldn’t afford flash. But solid would be good, solid and comfortable. She pictured somewhere with white walls, double-glazed windows and a modern bathroom. Somewhere like Conor’s house, she supposed.

There was something different about her mother. It wasn’t so much how she looked as the way she carried herself. Her movements were jittery, her voice too high. Tess counted the months since they’d last seen each other. She was taken aback to realise she hadn’t been home since Christmas.

‘You’re looking well, Tessy,’ her mam said. ‘You’re too skinny, but I suppose that’s part of the job. Mind you, I hope you didn’t pay much for that frock. There’s not a lot of material in it.’

Tess laughed. Her mother always made her laugh. Then she pulled at the skirt of her tiny floral dress. ‘You can relax. It was a present from the designer. In fairness, you’re no stranger to a short skirt yourself.’

‘Those days are behind me now.’

‘Stop it, Mam. You’ve the best legs in the village.’

‘The competition isn’t hectic.’

‘How are Mags and Mercedes?’

‘Fine, as far as I know. I haven’t seen much of them lately.’

Tess wanted to talk about her big cover, but now didn’t feel like the right time. Something was up. Was her mother ill? Was she anxious about the documentary? Was there trouble at work? While Tess had been bouncing around the globe, had something awful happened? She allowed these thoughts to circle around her. Then she had an idea.

‘I told Conor and Nina I’d meet them in Pilkington’s,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you come along? We can have a drink or two and a natter. We’ve plenty of catching up to do.’

‘I’ve no intention of cramping your style.