Once again, Annie felt like the outsider. Colette and Kim had always had way more in common with each other than she did with either of them, yet the three had managed to mesh so well the last time they were here.

But since then their lives had diverged completely, so much to the point that they shared little to no common ground now.

Regret wasn’t something Annie subscribed to normally, but right then she was beginning to regret her impulsive decision to come back here, and worse, to bring Charlie with her.

“Mum?” he mumbled then and she could hear the fatigue in his voice before she saw it in his face. He’d had a long day; they both had.

“Hey, come here,” she beckoned, pulling him up onto her lap. He snuggled against her collarbone. “We’ll head back to the hotel soon.”

“I’m tired,” he whined.

“I know, love.” She stroked his hair. “The others will be back soon and then we’ll go. Close your eyes.”

A little later she saw his hand reach for the hem of his shirt—a telltale sign that he was about to drift off. Charlie, for as long as she could remember, had always done the same thing to soothe himself to sleep. He’d take the hem of his shirt and suck on it when he was a toddler; as he got older he grew out of that and instead persisted in scrunching the hem into oblivion in his hand until sleep claimed him.

A few minutes later Colette and Kim reappeared at the table.

“Aw, is he sleeping?” Colette cooed, her face softening at the sight.

“Just dozing.”

“I’ll bring the car round.” Kim took the keys out of her bag and headed back out to where she’d parked.

“They can sleep anywhere, can’t they?” Colette commented, as she settled back into her seat.

“Especially this one,” Annie answered, smiling fondly. As Colette’s gaze lingered longingly on her sleeping child, she remembered she had an apology to make.

“Hey, I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I didn’t mean to upset or hurt you in any way. I was just shooting my mouth off; you know me, I say whatever’s on my mind and don’t always think about how it’ll affect others. And I was a bit tired and cranky in the heat, too. I would never hurt you on purpose. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Colette replied, looking relieved. “I’d never hurt you either. And I’m sorry for being a bit pass-remarkable. I should just mind my own bloody business.”

“It’s grand, honestly. All forgotten about so?”

“Definitely,” she replied with a smile, and Annie resolved to hold herself in check over the coming days where Colette was concerned.

Her friend was the only blameless one in this mess after all.

Chapter 53

Now