‘What?’

‘Thing is … I’m not gonna be here,’ said Catrin, waiting for the onslaught.

‘Christ, you’re not dyin’, are you?’ said Lana.

‘Shut up!’ snapped Judith. ‘What you talking about, Cat?’

Catrin paused. The decision she’d made in secret some time ago was about to be revealed.

‘I’ve been offered a job …’

‘Right,’ said Judith cautiously.

‘And it’s in New Zealand.’

‘You’re not serious?’

‘Starting end of Jan.’

They were all silent for a moment. The sounds of gentle revelry from downstairs drifted up into the room.

‘Why on earth d’you want to go to New Zealand?’ asked Judith, confused.

‘It’s for a year initially, but with the option to extend. A lovely little practice in Tauranga on the East Coast. North Island.’

‘Oh, well that makes all the difference if it’s the north island,’ said Lana sarcastically. ‘I mean, imagine if it’d been the south island, God forbid …’

‘Oh do be quiet, Lana, honestly,’ said Judith irritably.

‘No, why should I?’ moaned Lana, getting worked up. ‘You finally move back, Jude, us three finally get a stab at maybe being proper friends again, after a thirty-something-year gap, and then she decides she wants to move to the other side of the sodding world!’

‘Calm down, will you?’ said Judith. She turned to Catrin. ‘What do your parents think?’

‘I haven’t actually told them yet,’ said Catrin sheepishly. ‘Look, I know it’s a shock.’

‘That’s an understatement!’

‘And I’m sorry I haven’t told you about it sooner, but I didn’t want you to try and dissuade me.’

‘Which we would have done,’ Lana sulked.

‘Lana, for God’s sake!’ said Judith. ‘Stop making it about you! Go on, Cat.’

‘Please don’t be cross. I just need to do it. To be in a completely different place. Somewhere I never went with Sol.’

‘So move to Lampeter then! Or the Pembrokeshire coast,’ pleaded Lana.

‘Lana,’ said Catrin, taking her hand, ‘it’s not gonna change us, is it? Who we are together. Just ’cos we don’t see each other as often, doesn’t mean the link breaks?’

‘But it’s so extreme.’

‘I want a new adventure for me and Rom, that’s all. I want to move our lives forward, y’know? Stop looking over our shoulders at what was or what might have been … Living here, there are so many ghosts, so many reminders—’

‘I thought you found that comforting?’ said Lana.

‘I did for a while. Not any more.’

‘Yeah, I get that,’ said Jude quietly.

And for a moment they sat there in silence, taking in the enormity of Catrin’s news.

‘One minute to go!’ shouted Liz Kelly from the hallway.

Nobody responded.

‘Well, I think you’re a complete arse for leaving me on my own with her,’ laughed Lana through her tears.

‘Feeling’s mutual,’ replied Judith, also teary now.

‘You’ll manage,’ laughed Catrin. ‘Could even be the making of you both!’

Lana rolled her eyes.

‘Look, who knows?’ said Catrin. ‘I might hate it over there. Might be home in six months.’