Page 101 of The Time of My Afterlife

I nod. ‘Bring Molly and I can keep an eye on her if you decide to whisk Ronan away.’

Sam loves our invite. ‘I’ll come now and help if you want,’ he suggests. ‘I’m at a loose end, and I need to get out.’

‘Come on, Sam,’ says Clark. ‘Let’s go and have some fun.’

We stop at Pearl’s house and her face lights up at the sound of a party. ‘Will there be wine?’ she asks, making us laugh.

‘And hot dogs,’ I say.

‘Just wine for me,’ she says. ‘I’ll be over in a sec. Let me go and make myself look beautiful.’

Once we’re inside Clark’s house, he stops me by Dad’s photo. ‘Ring your mum and invite her and Steve.’

‘What? I don’t think I’m ready for Steve, and anyway, they’re off on holiday tomorrow.’ I then remember the afterlife’s message. ‘Oh, God, Mum will be away when…’

Clark kisses me as panic starts to engulf me. His warm lips find mine, and he pulls me close. When we break for air, he plants a kiss on the end of my nose. ‘Call your mum.’ He takes out his phone. ‘I’ll call mine too but I’m not hopeful.’

‘Okay – I will call Mum.’

‘I’m also inviting the lads.’

I let out a groan. ‘Does that mean Bread is coming?’

Clark nods. ‘He might try to invite the woman he met at karaoke who he’s in love with.’

‘Bread and love were not a good combo when we were at school. I remember when he had a thing for Tia from the hockey team and tried to be a stowaway on their hockey tour so he could get with her. He got caught and was dropped off at the first motorway services.’

‘My mum went to pick him up. And in the end, Tia got off with one of the lads from another school. Bread was gutted. Minty will want to come too, so I’d best cook a lot of meat.’

‘This will be quite an evening.’

He slips his arm around my waist. ‘It will be the best because I can kiss you.’

Clark was right about the best things being unplanned. This impromptu barbecue is great. The sky has turned a soft late-May lavender colour, and the kind that makes everyone look like a cinematic Instagram filter has been slid over them.

Sam is on the barbeque and he’s doing a great job. Minty bought with him a large speaker, which we have placed outside, and the air is filled with funky jazz tunes. Laura and Molly bought a bowl of strawberries and a tub of ice cream, and when Jane and Jack arrived, they were clutching a salad she’d quickly made.

Clark’s back garden is small but intimate. I put up fairy lights around the fence, which looks across his garden decking, and the air is filled with the scent of sausages and charred burgers, and the sound of Pearl’s laughter, relaxing background music and Molly’s phone, which is playing a TikTok video. I can’t believe what Clark and I have created. It feels nice to be around everyone.

‘Hello, Florence,’ says Mum as I whirl around. The first thing I notice is that those gold earrings from the nineties are back. She’s wearing a little makeup and she’s smiling. Standing next to her is a small guy with a bald head and a friendly face.

I outstretch my hand. ‘You must be Steve. I’m Florence.’

Mum looks like she’s about to burst with happiness.

‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Florence,’ Steve says.

Clark appears and drapes his arm over my shoulder, which makes my mother gasp. ‘What is this?’ she asks, staring at how I’ve leaned into Clark.

‘I’ve finally realised that Clark is who I want to be with,’ I gush.

My mum lets out an ear-piercing shriek. ‘I knew this day would come. Oh, how wonderful.’ She turns to Steve. ‘These two have been squabbling since they were six years old. They never stopped quarrelling. We had family holidays with his family and these two would always be shouting and screaming at each other. My entire time on holiday would be spent yelling at Florence to stop annoying Clark. His mum would do the same in reverse, but it made no difference. Within five minutes they’d be at each other’s throats again. I’d go back to work with noise still ringing in my ears and looking forward to some peace and quiet.’

‘Mum,’ I exclaim, ‘we were not that bad.’

She snorts with laughter. ‘Florence, trust me, you and Clark were a nightmare.’

My face is reddening with embarrassment.