‘I think she did,’ Merrin whispered. ‘But Mum’s right. We’ve all got enough on our plate right now without Ruby and me falling out. I’m exhausted with it all and I need this petty jealousy to stop. It used to be funny when we were little, arguing over a bit of cake, a toy we both wanted to play with or who had the lion’s share of floor space in our bedroom, but now’ – she rubbed her tired eyes, thinking of the nights she had replayed the words of their big row and knowing that she had neither the energy nor the inclination to do it again – ‘I can’t be doing with it, Bells. Can’t live waiting for the next flare of aggression to fill my head for months on end. It’s not fair.’

‘Everyone’s tired. Everyone’s grieving and everyone is on edge. Things will calm down, Merry.’ Bella offered the voice of reason. ‘I’m glad you are getting on well with Miguel. You seemed happy enough at Ruby’s wedding, and even though I had my doubts about you guys long term, everyone seems to really like him. And I don’t want you to be on your own.’ Bella spoke softly, as she tucked a blanket around the sleeping Glynn in his pram.

‘You’re on your own and you’re doing okay.’ She admired her friend more than she could say.

‘I’m not, though, am I? I’ve got this little munchkin. Although I can’t pretend I wouldn’t rather be raising him with Luuk, but what you gonna do?’

‘I hear ya, Bells.’ She got up and hugged her friend.

‘But we all know it needs more than good looks to make it work. There needs to be love. That brilliant, magical spark.’

‘Did you think that’s what you had with Luuk: love?’ His absence was for her another example of the unreliable nature of those strong feelings.

Bella nodded. ‘I do love him. And as daft as it sounds, I know he loves me. His calls are never nasty, he’s always kind; he’s trying to figure things out and, in a way, I don’t want him to sell me a false promise.’

‘We all know how that ends,’ Merrin quipped.

‘It’s true; in some ways I admire his honesty. He’s only ever been completely open with me. And I him.’

‘But he left you, Bells. How can you say you love him?’

‘Because I do! It’s that simple: I love him! And he didn’t leave me, he went back to work, jumped on that big old yacht and headed off to Costa Rica, and after he’d gone, I found out I was pregnant.’

‘But he should have come back!’