He leant forward and she thought for one glorious, scary, horrifying, heart-stopping moment that he might kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead, he ran his thumb over her cheek and looked into her eyes. He pulled away and she saw the paint on his thumb. She wiped at the blobs of emulsion on her skin, of which she had been unaware. What she was aware of, however, was how his touch had pulsed through her very being, warming a place deep inside her that for the longest time had been cold.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Merrin Kellow.’

She nodded, hardly able to respond due to the bubble of happiness that stoppered her throat. Minutes. That was all it had taken, mere minutes in his company and it was as if she were lit from within, aglow with an incredible optimism.

‘Now I have to run.’ He sighed. ‘I’ve left Frank Ferdinand Falkenstok in a rather precarious spot.’

‘Who’s Frank Ferdinand Falkenstok?’ She was curious.

‘My car!’ he yelled over his shoulder. ‘A Fancy Ford Focus – what else was I going to call him?’

She laughed and looked over at Vera Wilma Brown parked on the cobbles outside Kellow Cottages, wondering how the two might get along . . .

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

‘Morning, Merry! Beautiful day for it!’ Robin called from the quayside, where he walked hand in hand with his partner, John, who waved back. John had moved to Port Charles nearly eighteen months ago. According to Jarvis, they’d been in the pub watching football on the big screen when in walked a group of townies. John had made a beeline for Robin and the two had chatted and laughed until closing time, when, at the ringing of the bell for last orders, John had simply taken his hand and out they had walked . . . John had opened up a coffee shop, which was thriving. Folk went for his coffee, the glorious fresh-baked patisserie and his banter, which was loud and welcoming. The first person he had employed, on Merrin’s strong recommendation, was the lady she had become friendly with since her return – Lizzie, who washed the dishes and kept the place as neat as a pin. With her new haircut, a steady routine and no more than human kindness, the woman had blossomed, bringing shame to all those who had not similarly embraced her over the years.

‘It really is, Robin.’ She blew him a kiss. ‘A beautiful day!’