‘I currently live with Nancy Cardy. Up on the corner of Fore Street and Lamp Hill. Do you know her?’

‘Yes. Yes, I know her.’ She smiled.

‘I’m the head teacher at St Endellion’s School and I’m lodging with her until I find a house.’

‘My dad converted that room; it used to be loft space and he made it into that brilliant room with the view.’

‘Oh! So you’re related to Nancy! Are you Jarvis’s sister? I’ve met him once, seen him around. Don’t think he’s that keen on me.’

She let out a small laugh. ‘No, no, I’m not Jarvis’s sister. But I am his sister-in-law.’

‘Is everyone in Port Charles either related or feuding?’

‘Yes. That’s about the sum of it.’

She looked over her shoulder towards the lights coming from the cottage and felt the worry that her mum might be waiting for her to come and eat supper.

‘I should probably be getting home.’

‘Yes, of course, it was nice talking to you . . . sorry, I don’t know your name?’

‘Merrin. Merrin Kellow.’

‘And I’m Alex, Alex Morgan.’

Merrin jumped up from the damp step, wiped the back of her jeans and slowly climbed the steps up to the path. Alex followed and fell into step beside her and she noted that he was really very tall, and his hair was curly and sat below his ears and brushed the top of his turtleneck collar. Her dad would say it was too long. He had rolled his jeans down and now zipped up his navy hoodie.

‘You’re going to be okay, Merrin.’ He forced his hands into his pockets, as the wind picked up.

‘I know.’ She nodded. ‘I am okay.’

‘When you have a great dad, everything he does and everything he says throughout his life is subtle instruction for times just as these. And so you will be okay because he has made sure of it.’

Looking at him now, she felt the grumble of longing in her stomach, ridiculously wishing that he didn’t have to go. It had been a while since she had felt this . . . this firecracker of anticipation in her gut.

‘So, will I see you again, do you think? What are the chances of us bumping into each other in a huge place like Port Charles?’

Alex looked over her head. ‘I think the chances are very high.’ He smiled. ‘I’m actually thinking I might be here at the same time tomorrow, just on the off chance.’

‘Right.’

‘Right. But today is what’s important right now. Because we’ve met, put a stake in the ground. Our first step.’

‘Yes.’ She stared at him. ‘Our first step. I like that.’