‘It was. And you can blame Nats for that – she brought the confetti and started lobbing it everywhere! There was even a bomb thing, I seem to remember!’

‘There was!’ Bess laughed.

‘I’ve told her to be on standby for her wedding day. Plans are already afoot and I intend to create absolute havoc.’

‘If she gets married. Do you think she’ll ever find anyone to put up with her?’ she joked, remembering her mum’s words earlier and how Mario was ‘a wonder’, and she felt a surge of love for the man who had been by her side for most of her life.

‘Someone will, Mum, and he’ll be one heck of a lucky chap.’

The way Jake spoke about his sister made Bess realise that this relationship between her kids was one of her greatest achievements. She thought again of Philip and smarted at how much she missed him. Her big brother. There were days that stuck in her mind, days she treasured, like reading books in a caravan together with the rain bashing the roof while eating sweets from little paper bags as their mum and dad snoozed, collapsed together on the narrow sofa. Their dad had farted, and she and Philip had been helpless with laughter . . .

‘I was explaining to Dan why they had to be yellow roses, your favourites.’

She could tell he was smiling and loved how she and her son had this little thing they shared. ‘Yours too,’ she pointed out.

‘Yep. It drives Dan mad. I put them on the dining-room table without saying a word, but when he spots them, I hear him sigh with disappointment. He hates yellow flowers.’

‘Well, there we are. Does he know why they’re my favourites?’

‘I’m not sure – you should tell him. He’s next to me here in the car.’

And before she had a chance to think, Jake had handed the phone to Daniel.

‘Hey, happy birthday, Bess!’

‘Thank you, Dan. I hear you’ve had a wonderful time.’ I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry for not being more open with you . . . for not letting you in . . . You are Jake’s choice and that is good enough . . .

‘Oh, the best! We’ve eaten far too much and laughed non-stop.’

‘Well, that sounds about right.’ She smiled.

‘So come on, what’s the deal with the yellow roses, apart from the fact they clash with our very expensive dining-room wallpaper?’