I look up and see the sky is awash with stars. Millions and millions of bright lights shine and twinkle. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever been able to see in my back garden before.

‘That’s the Milky Way,’ Mike says, his hand sweeping to where the sky is filled with the densest cluster. It almost looks like one solid light source.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ I say, my arms looping through Vicky’s and my head resting on Mike’s shoulder.

‘We’re definitely just small fry,’ says Mike.

For a moment or two we each get lost in looking at the expanse of sky above. It’s incredible to think that each star is a sun like ours, with possibly its own version of earthlings spinning around it.

‘Thank you, Pia,’ I whisper, giving the other two a squeeze.

‘Yeah …’ sounds Mike.

‘It’s probably a bit strange to have a favourite when it comes to her Rules of Death, but this is mine,’ Vicky adds.

‘Feels like we’re putting life back into life somehow,’ Mike adds. ‘It doesn’t just stop. There’s no way it can even if it sometimes feel like it has.’

Silence descends on us once more as we take in not only the view, but the idea of us continuing with life. I can’t help but be reflective of how my life has changed over the years since meeting Liam, and then what a huge shift has occurred within me since losing Pia. I’ve been feeling like the world has let us all down, like I can’t possibly enjoy what I have when there’s such devastation existing so close to me, inside me – but maybe that’s Pia’s point by making us come here, or Mike at least. Let’s not forget we just tagged along. Maybe this trip was meant to be her way of allowing acceptance to occur. Her blessing for letting life back in and moving on with our lives again.

Maybe.

‘We never do this any more,’ sighs Vicky, forlornly.

‘What do you mean?’ I ask.

‘This. Hang out.’

‘We do hang out. This trip got booked when we were hanging out,’ Mike notes, chuckling to himself, his eyes firmly fixed above.

‘It’s nice,’ Vicky says, squeezing my arm. ‘We need to do more of it.’

‘Hmmm …’ I say.

‘You don’t agree?’ she laughs, nudging into my side.

‘It’s just, there are certain life events that have stopped us from getting together as much,’ I say. ‘It’s a shame that death is the thing that made us all put life aside so that we could regroup properly.’

‘We were still seeing each other!’ she says.

‘I think I saw you a handful of times when Mike and Pia were away travelling,’ I remind her.

‘I was there if you needed me,’ she frowns.

‘I know!’