Page 100 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘Da,’ she said, grabbing it off him.

‘Ta! She said ta!’ Clare gasped. ‘Can you get your phone out and video her please.’

Adam took his phone from his shorts pocket and swiped the screen. ‘Have I just witnessed a first?’

‘Yep. Ivy,’ Clare prompted, ‘say ta! Ta, ta, ta.’

‘Buh-buh-ba,’ said Ivy, swishing the pink wafer through her hair.

They looked at each other, disappointed.

‘Oh well,’ said Adam with a shrug, moving the focus off Ivy and inadvertently onto Clare.

‘Will you stop pointing your camera at me please,’ she yelped. ‘And would you mind doing me up?’

Adam crouched down behind her. She leaned forward, trying to pass him the ties of her bikini top. His hand skimmed the side of her breast, and she breathed in sharply.

‘Sorry,’ he said, tightening the straps behind her. ‘I’m trying not to touch you, but it’s very hard.’

‘The jokes are writing themselves here.’ She felt her breath hitch. ‘Don’t worry about it. Thanks for helping me. And thanks for being here.’

He sat beside her, so close that she could see the flecks of green and blue in his eyes, and rubbed a hand through his hair. A gesture she was beginning to recognise as something he did when he felt uncomfortable.

‘Clare, what are we doing. What is this?’ He waved a finger between him and her. ‘Not that I’m not happy to be spending time with you, I am. With both of you. But you and I have history. I know things have moved on for you since then.’ He inclined his head towards Ivy. ‘But for me …’ He broke off and inhaled. ‘It feels like we’re picking up where we left off.’

She swallowed. He was close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body and smell the coconut scent of the lotion he’d applied to his skin. Her stomach fluttered. ‘Me too.’

He reached a hand to her cheek and slid his fingers into her hair. ‘Clare,’ he murmured, his mouth no more than a breath from hers.

‘Bi-bi-bi-bi!’ Ivy chuntered.

Clare and Adam moved apart, the moment broken as Ivy pulled herself up using the buggy and attempted to reach the bag containing the biscuits.

‘Ivy! Be careful.’ Clare rolled from sitting over onto her knees, terrified that Ivy was going to pull the buggy down on top of her.

Adam jumped to his feet and held out his hands. ‘Ivy! Wait, I’ll get you a biscuit.’

Ivy gave him a gummy smile, reached her arms out to him and took a few tentative steps towards him before plopping down on her bottom and clapping her hands.

Clare gasped and clutched Adam’s leg. ‘She walked, she actually just walked!’

‘Bloody hell!’ he laughed. ‘Don’t tell me that’s a first as well?’

‘Yes, those were her first steps.’ Clare smiled at him, tears clouding her vision as she felt a lump form in her throat.

She didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, or the day after that, or when term started again in September and she and Ivy were back in Bath. But right now, on North Sands beach, both of Ivy’s parents had witnessed their baby take her first steps.

‘Can we see if she’ll do it again?’ Adam asked.

Clare nodded, loving the way he checked in with her, never presuming anything.

‘OK, kiddo, you’ve got this.’ Adam crouched down and lifted Ivy to her feet, steadying her before resting his cheek lightly on the top of her sun hat. If there was ever a picture Clare wanted to freeze in time to look back at over and over again as one of life’s perfect moments, this was it. ‘Ready to walk to Mummy?’

‘Bi-bi-bi!’ she demanded imperiously.

‘And then a biscuit, yes, I promise,’ Adam laughed.

‘Wait! I need to capture this.’ Clare reached into her bag for her phone, held it up and started to video. ‘OK, we’re good to go.’