All joking aside. What will be will be, my loves. I been doing a lot of thinking recently and I know I would be hard pushed to say which was the prettiest sunset I’ve ever seen, the best day of fishing, the best roast potato or the sweetest pint in the pub – all of these things I love! But I can, without a moment of hesitation, tell you when I am the happiest: and it’s when I am sat at our little table with a fire in the grate and your three faces in front of me.

Merrin looked towards the table and saw her dad sitting there, smiling at them all. Her loss spilt from her – a pure and all-consuming thing that left her feeling wretched. Ruby reached for her hand and they sat, hand in hand, while their mother continued to read aloud.

Heather, my girl and my love, what did I do right to get you, eh? Something, that’s for sure. Marrying you has meant a blessed life and the truth is, if I lived from now until the end of time and told you every second of every day how much I loved you, it would still not come close to conveying just how much. But I do, Heather. I love you beyond words, beyond life and I always will. Thank you for loving me. It is surely the greatest gift you can bestow upon one another: to love and be loved.

Her voice caught and she coughed to clear her throat, speaking through her tears.

This, this was the glorious love that Merrin wanted to wait for. The words were honest and moving: he would love her beyond life . . . It was beautiful and he was right: to give and receive such love was the greatest gift.

Ruby Mae – my feisty little Ruby Mae. How I love you, my firstborn. You have been a bundle of delight since the moment you landed in our lives! You amaze me. You’re strong and sharp and I don’t think there is a situation in the whole world that can get you down for long. You have made me laugh on more days than you haven’t, and what a gift is that. Always there to keep an eye on your mum and sister – I know you are going to be the best mum to your little ’un. What a lucky little babby to choose you and that great lump Jarvis. He’s a good man; I love him like my own and I must admit I’ll rest a little easier knowing he’s holding your hand. I’ve left him Sally-Mae in my will so he can build up the business into the fleet he dreams of and do his best to keep the Kellows and the Cardys in fish for generations to come! And to you, Rubes, I leave the number two cottage, your home. Yours on paper now too. Official.