‘Oh … crap! I forgot that changed,’ I whine, my hands covering my eyes at the error of not only my time management but for reading his reaction so wrong. It’s not that he doesn’t want me going somewhere without him, it’s that we’d already made plans to be somewhere together. ‘I’m sorry. The dates are only pencilled in at the moment but I would land in the morning on the Friday anyway. So I could make it up to Liverpool in good time,’ I say, feeling stupid.

‘You know there are welcome drinks planned that first day,’ he tuts grumpily. ‘You didn’t even run it by me.’

‘I’ve said sorry for that and I really am,’ I frown. It takes a lot for me to say sorry, I’m stubborn like that, so I don’t appreciate having to repeat the sentiment. Especially when it was a genuine oversight and I’ve already offered a solution if he wants me there that badly.

‘It’s a big day for my family,’ he continues, piling on the guilt.

‘I know.’

‘Seeing as you’re going to be a part of it you’d think you’d want to be there.’

‘Liam, it’s not our wedding, is it?’ I snap, starting to feel less reasonable. ‘So what if I get there late to the drinks when people are already a little tipsy? It’s not the main event and no one will be waiting for me to arrive to get the party started! You can go up ahead of me if you’re really concerned about missing out on a beer or two.’

‘Don’t be petty,’ he says, leaning back on the kitchen side with a pained expression on his face, as though I’ve just told him I hate his whole family. I don’t. ‘Honestly, I don’t know what’s got into you lately, but this is what adults in a committed relationship do – they consult each other before making plans that might impact the other. I’m allowed to be upset. I just wanted you properly for a few days.’

‘You get me all the sodding time,’ I whine, reluctant to repeat my apology for a third time.

‘Like this?’ he scoffs before shaking his head, gesturing at the space between us. ‘Well, lucky me.’

His shoulders are slumped as he exits the room and marches up the stairs, leaving me feeling guilty and tense. This is totally my fault and an innocent mistake on my part, but I’m not sure what else I could’ve offered beyond what I already have. Admitting my faults doesn’t come easily to me so holding my hands up was huge. His rebuff of that, his need to hammer home his point and make sure I understood it – which I did – makes me want to revoke the ‘s’ word altogether along with any notion of moving the trip dates.