‘And because work keeps me away from you so much, I need to know that you’re both safe and sound when I can’t be there to look after you,’ Ray continued. ‘So I bought us a house.’

He grinned again and waggled the key. Melissa couldn’t speak. She sat, slack-jawed and unresponsive, and just stared at the key and then at Ray and then back to the key. Ray, who clearly was expecting her to be in floods of tears of excitement and gratitude at the very least, was starting to look slightly nonplussed.

‘I thought you’d be pleased,’ he said, the hand holding the key dropping to his lap. ‘In fact, I thought you’d be delighted.’

Finally, and just in the nick of time going by Ray’s expression, Melissa regained the power of speech. ‘I am! Oh, my God! This is amazing. A house? For us? Together?’

She got to her feet, threw her arms above her head and performed a rather wobbly dance on the spot.

‘Woooooooooo!!’ she shouted, and the other diners turned in their seats to see what all the commotion was about. Leah stirred, opening her eyes weakly but then drifting straight back to sleep.

‘Stop it! Sit down, you mad fool!’ said Ray, grinning at her but also looking nervously around at the audience of other diners that she was attracting. ‘So I’ve bought you a house,’ he continued with a wink. ‘There’s no need to make a song and dance about it.’

Melissa couldn’t believe it. Incredible things like this didn’t happen to people like her. She’d never even considered the possibility of living in a house again, so unlikely had it felt, let alone actually owning one.

She reached across the table and grabbed hold of Ray. ‘A house. It’s fantastic! You are the best husband a girl could ask for.’

For a moment, Ray dropped his eyes. He wasn’t going to come across all modest on her, was he? That would be a first. He was even blushing, bless him.

‘So where is it?’ she asked. ‘When can we see it? Can we go now?’

Ray shook his head at her like an indulgent uncle. ‘Calm down, Missy! I’ve just told you. We’re booked in here tonight. We’ll have our night of passion in the bridal suite and then I’ll take you to see the house tomorrow. You’re going to love it. I just know you are.’

Then suddenly Melissa had a horrible thought.

‘It is in Whitley Bay, isn’t it?’ she asked nervously. ‘I mean, I like Newcastle and that, but I need to be near the sea. It’s who I am. I can’t ever see me moving from the coast.’