‘You know this is our very first holiday together?’ Liam says. ‘Can you believe it?’

I smile. Liam and I had something of a whirlwind romance; we were married after just six months. After Liam proposed, we decided we didn’t want to wait. We were impatient to actually be man and wife and the thought of spending a lot of money and planning for months didn’t make sense to either of us. On top of that, my mum being ill made us want to do it sooner rather than later. There was always the thought in my mind that time was precious, and you just never knew which way her health would go. Liam wanted something small and intimate. As he explained it; it was our special day, our promises and nothing and no one else mattered. And it was a beautiful day. The last beautiful day.

It’s funny, I muse, how the best day of your life can turn into the worst.

‘Where else would you like to go?’ Liam asks. ‘What’s on your bucket list?’

‘Paris, Australia, Vietnam, Rome, Costa Rica …’ I say to Liam, rattling off some of the places on my very long list.

‘You’ve really thought about this,’ Liam jokes.

I have, partly because I haven’t been to many places. We didn’t have much money when I was growing up and summer holidays were spent in caravans on the south coast, usually Broadstairs or Hastings. Once, after my dad died, my mum used some of the money from his life insurance payout to take us to the Canary Islands. We loved it, spent the week lying by the pool reading and playing cards. It was my first time on an aeroplane.

I’ve also been to Spain once, with two friends I met on my veterinary assistant course. But it was a package tour, one designed for young people who liked to party, and it wasn’t really my thing. My friends just wanted to get drunk and go out clubbing and I was too shy and ended up staying in most nights and reading a book.

‘What would be your dream holiday if you had to pick one?’ Liam presses.

‘A safari in Africa,’ I say, without hesitation. It’s something I’ve long dreamed of, ever since I was a kid and became obsessed with David Attenborough’s nature documentaries. ‘But, honestly,’ I add quickly, gesturing at the view, ‘this is my dream holiday. It’s a perfect honeymoon.’

‘Better than Greece?’ he asks.

‘Better than Greece,’ I say, and I really mean it. ‘Here we’ve got a whole island all to ourselves. Over there we’d have to share.’

Liam grins.

‘Thanks for booking it. I really appreciate it,’ I say to him.

‘You’re welcome,’ Liam says, looking pleased. ‘Come on, let’s get back.’

Chapter Five