‘I know you do, and you don’t have to justify yourself to me or anyone, but the fact is, I like salt-and-vinegar Pringles, doesn’t mean I want to spend my life with them.’

‘Are you honestly comparing beautiful Miguel to a salt-and-vinegar Pringle?’

‘I actually am.’

Merrin turned and looked out over the bay, where the streetlights were starting to flicker on. It was always her favourite time, as the stays on the masts of boats in the harbour knocked in the gentle swell of the tide, and the sky turned pink and orange with the promise of warmth tomorrow. Gulls took to the cliffs to bed down for the night and lamps in windows were clicked to life, sending beams of honey-coloured light to pool on the pavements and walkways. It was beautiful, cosy, and the place she had walked happily for the first two decades of her life.

‘I know you love me, Bells, and the feeling is entirely mutual.’ She squeezed her friend’s fingers. ‘And I know what you’re getting at. I think . . . I think it’s hard to go through what happened to me and not be a little bit damaged by it, even if you do your very best not to be. And I also think that the kind of crazy, full-on, all-encompassing, firecracker love is something that’s easy when you haven’t seen the other side. But as you get older and live a bit more . . .’

‘The cynicism sets in?’

‘Something like that.’ Merrin smiled at her friend, whose face fell, confirming that Bella knew it as well as she. ‘The good thing is, Miguel and I are on the same page. We’re happy and things are plodding along nicely.’

‘Yaaay!’ Bella did a mini fist pump. ‘The phrase that all romantics the world over hope to hear: “plodding along nicely” – just so lovely, passionate.’

‘Okay, now I know you’re taking the piss and I need to get to the shop before it closes. Can you imagine Kellow Cottages without tea bags in it?’

‘God, no. I think the whole place might fall down! Like the ravens leaving the Tower.’

‘Exactly.’

The girls continued their march along the path until Merrin stopped in her tracks and looked back towards the cottage, picturing the safety of her mother’s parlour.

‘You can do this, Merry.’

‘Okay.’ She closed her eyes and briefly gripped her friend as tightly as she was able without squishing the sleeping Glynn, before they peeled off in different directions.

‘Can you pick me up some Pringles, salt and vinegar?’ Bella called over her shoulder.

Merrin stuck her tongue out at her friend’s back.

‘I know what you’re doing,’ Bella tutted.