‘Tonight?’ Emily looks towards the chopping board, where two delicate sea bass fillets are sat waiting to be prepared. ‘You know what? That would be lovely. Really lovely. I feel as though I’ve barely seen you all week.’ She moves past him quickly, shoving the fish into the fridge and giving him a fleeting kiss on the cheek. He lets out a sigh once he’s alone. He’d forgotten how complicated it was, keeping a wife happy.

They get a cab into town before walking the short distance towards the restaurant, meandering along the streets with their arms linked together under a clear, dusky purple sky. Despite the slight chill in the air, there is still that faint sense of the last vestiges of summer thanks to the fact that the clocks haven’t yet gone back, and that people are still braving the outside areas of the few pubs that they walk past, some huddling under patio heaters but still in T-shirts, reluctant to let autumn kick in properly. Emily seems to have relaxed now that they are out of the house, her forehead no longer tightly creased with a frown, the dark circles under her eyes hidden by concealer. Rupert is pleased that he thought to bring her out to dinner, he should have realized that she needed to get out after being at home on her own all week.

They reach the door of the Italian restaurant that Rupert has frequented for years. A tiny, family-run affair, Rupert and Caro used to come here regularly, but Rupert hasn’t been since Caro died. He didn’t feel ready before, the place awash with memories of past nights out, that nagging guilt heavy in the pit of his stomach, but he’s missed the excellent food, the friendly service. Tonight, he can’t think of a better place to spend his Friday evening.

Rupert pushes open the door, leaning out of the way so that Emily can duck under his arm and enter the restaurant first. The familiar smell of garlic on the air makes his stomach rumble, making Emily laugh as she hears it behind her. A laugh that quickly fades as Gino, the restaurant owner, bears down on Rupert, arms spread open in welcome.

‘Ahhh, Mr Osbourne-Milligan! How lovely to see you, but where is the delightful Mrs Caro?’ He peers over Rupert’s shoulder out into the street, and then back to Rupert with a questioning look on his face. Rupert’s mouth goes dry, and he can’t find the words to speak.

Emily looks up at him, her face stricken. ‘Rupert?’

His face burning, Rupert tucks his arm around her, ‘Gino, this is Emily. I’m afraid…’ He has to cough, to push the words past the lump in his throat. ‘Caro passed away. Emily and I were very recently married, and I wanted to bring her to my favourite restaurant. Could we possibly have a table for two, please?’