“Kim, what are you doing here?” She wasn’t prepared for this. She’d told her friend they were coming, of course, but she hadn’t expected to see her until later, after they’d arrived at the hotel.

Shite... Annie put a hand up to her clothes, instinctively straightening the wrinkled T-shirt she’d worn under her zip-up top on the flight.

She’d fully intended to doll herself up to the nines beforehand and appear at the hotel looking and feeling like a film star, but since they were running so late, and she’d been getting Charlie ready, too, she’d barely had the chance to dress herself.

Kim, by comparison, looked like she’d just stepped off a catwalk, dressed as she was in a floaty silk floral top, blinding white capri trousers, hot pink espadrilles, and a pair of Gucci cat-eye sunglasses perched atop her chic blonde head.

“Surprise!” she cried cheerfully, pulling Annie into a huge hug, as Charlie looked on. “And of course I’d be here. Where else would I be? I took the day off so I’m all yours—I hope,” she added.

Kim released her hold on Annie and then turned to Charlie. “Oh my goodness, you’ve got so big!” Despite having only briefly met her once when he was smaller, he immediately flung two happy arms around her waist. He was such a friendly child.

“I’m so glad that you and your mom could come for the party. Why don’t we get you in the car so we can show you what Italy’s like?”

“Yes!” Charlie exclaimed. “Where is it?”

“Right this way,” Kim instructed as she placed her hand on his back and directed him to where a snazzy convertible was waiting.

Annie tried to dampen down her inner resentment as Charlie’s eyes widened in awe at the open roof.

She closed her eyes and took several cleansing breaths.

Once in the car, Kim’s animated conversation and obvious delight at their reunion continued, but Annie couldn’t work up sufficient enthusiasm to match it.

Mostly, she listened to her chatter away to Charlie while she watched the world go by, a leaden lump in her stomach as she began to relive the same journey she’d taken all those years before, when she’d thought the world was her oyster.

“Are you OK?” Kim asked, noticing Annie’s silence.

She smiled wanly. “I’m grand. Just a bit tired after the flight. How’s Gabriel and Lily?”

“All good. They’re out and about today but should be back at the hotel later. Lily is so excited about having another child to play with in the pool, which hopefully means you and I will have some quiet time to catch up.” She winked conspiratorially. “Aw, it’s such a shame Colette isn’t coming out till Friday, though—it won’t feel real until all three of us are back together.”