Quinn looked across at her and sighed. Minnie couldn’t quite read his expression – he looked tired.

‘Well she’s a force of nature. We’re both very grateful to her.’

‘I’m so pleased, Quinn.’

She squeezed his arm. He slowly unlinked his arm from hers and thrust his hands back into his pockets.

‘Just tell me one thing before I go. This car you’re driving alone into the sunset – it’s a Mini Cooper, right?’

She smiled. ‘Actually, I was imagining more of an open-top Mustang – the kind they drive in Thelma and Louise.’

‘You know they drive off a cliff in that film, right?’

‘Thanks for the spoiler, Quinn – I’ve never seen it.’ She pretended to be angry, giving him a gentle punch on the arm.

They both laughed, a half-laugh half-sigh – a laugh that signalled an ending.

‘Goodbye then, Minnie,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

She inhaled the smell of his neck, and the angry owls in her belly started to flap their wings and cry, ‘What have you done, Minnie? What have you done? Take every word of it back while you can!’

But she did not.

30 December 2020

Leila clinked her champagne glass with a fork and stood up to address the long trestle table of guests. She was wearing a wedding dress made of feathers and tulle. The dress had a fitted corset and a flowing skirt – it was a pretty conventional wedding dress design, if you ignored the huge feather shoulder pads thrusting upwards like some angelic Boudicca, preparing to charge into romantic battle.

‘I just wanted to say a few words,’ Leila said, ‘because it’s my wedding and I can do what I like.’ There were a few whoops and chuckles from the table. ‘First of all, I want to thank my husband … ’ Leila said it in that way brides do when they expect a cheer for simply using the word. The wedding guests obliged. ‘Ian has made me so happy these last four years – mainly because he lets me have all the cupboard space in our flat, and he knows never – ever ever – to wash any of my underwear at more than thirty degrees. He learnt that the hard way.’

Minnie was seated next to Leila at the table. She looked along the row of familiar faces laughing at Leila’s jokes. Dotted amongst Leila’s friends and family were all their regular customers from No Hard Fillings – Leila had invited them all. Fleur, Alan and Bev were there, so were the two Clares. Poor Bev was sandwiched between deaf old Mrs Harris and Terry Piper who suffered from dementia. Leila turned to look at Minnie as she went on with her speech.