Tara heard a car’s engine, but didn’t pull her eyes from the girls until she heard a door slam and the excited whines of a cockapoo dragging April across the road. She was ready for Dexter this time and wore Iain’s waterproof jacket, and jeans that were torn by age rather than design. The dog could splatter her with as much mud as he liked.

‘Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!’ Molly cried, her voice growing louder. She thumped against her mum in her haste to get to the dog. ‘He’s like a teddy bear.’

‘An evil teddy bear,’ April warned as she gave Tara the biggest hug.

‘How was Christmas?’ asked Tara.

‘Stupidly weepy,’ April said. ‘But it’s over now and I’m determined not to cry again until at least January.’

‘It was the same for me that first Christmas, and New Year’s Eve was tough too. Be warned, it can be hard stepping out of the last year you shared together and into one they’ll never know.’

‘I’m prepared,’ April added. She looked about to say more, but both girls were circling.

‘Did you want to stroke him, Lily?’ asked Tara.

Lily’s furtive approach alerted the dog to new prey. He wriggled free from Molly’s clutches and would have launched himself at the new arrival if April hadn’t kept him on a short leash. Emboldened, Lily came within pouncing distance and Dexter took advantage. The little girl shrieked as the dog jumped up, and as she did, Dexter stuck his tongue in her mouth, causing her to gag.

‘Sorry!’ yelped April, pulling him off her. ‘He doesn’t bite, but he might lick you to death.’

Molly was in fits of laughter, but panic wrapped itself tightly around Tara’s chest. She wasn’t equipped to deal with Lily’s tears without Iain.

Lily wiped her tongue with her gloved hand and continued to make retching noises until she caught sight of the tears of laughter rolling down Molly’s face. To everyone’s relief, she started laughing too.

‘Can we take him to Dad’s grave?’ Molly asked when they had calmed down.

Mike was buried at the back of the church and they had visited his grave only two days earlier on Christmas Day before making a similar pilgrimage to Widnes. Fearing that a return visit might trigger Lily, Tara said, ‘Maybe not today. Let’s head up to the lighthouse.’

Molly was sullen as they left the church, but April turned her mood around by suggesting she take charge of Dexter.

After giving Molly instructions on how to control the leash if not the dog, April turned to Tara. Her expression clouded with concern as she took in Tara’s minimal make-up and hair scraped back into a ponytail. ‘How was your Christmas?’