‘I was just thinking that we all look a damn sight better now than when we were standing in that departures hall.’
Sofia glugged down her glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with ice.
‘Too right we do.’
‘We were all at a crossroads back then, and we didn’t even realise it.’ Maddie pointed at Sofia. ‘And don’t even think about singing that Beyoncé song…’
‘As if!’
‘I know you were.’
‘“I am alone at a crossroads…”’
‘Stop. I’m trying to be serious here. And you know the actual title of the song is “Listen”,don’t you, which is highly appropriate in your case.’
‘If it’s good enough for Queen Bey…’
‘As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we were all at a crossroads in our lives. But together, we’ve helped each other make tough decisions and act on them. Your friendship means more to me than you’ll ever know.’
Sofia sniffed.
‘Enough. I can’t do tears before coffee.’
‘OK, I’ll stop being nice. It’s obviously disturbing you.’
Charlotte wiped her own eyes with a serviette.
‘I think it’s lovely. And I feel the same. I’m not sure I’d have been as brave at confronting Doug if I hadn’t known you two were back here waiting for me, whatever I decided.’
Sofia covered her hands with her eyes.
‘You’ve set me off now.’
Charlotte delved down into her beach bag.
‘And to say thank you to you both… and as you’re leaving this morning, Mads, just a little something from me, to remind you of our time spent together.’
Charlotte handed them two tissue-wrapped parcels.
Sofia ripped the paper off hers straightaway.
‘Wow!’
She held up the watercolour of the terrace at Adonis’s hotel, framed against a clear blue Greek sky, with the town ranged below it and the flowers on the tables picked out in bright pinks and yellows.
‘This is amazing, Char. So gorgeous. Adonis will be chuffed when I show it to him.’
Maddie had pulled the paper off hers too and was sat staring at the picture with tears in her eyes.
Sofia reached for the frame.
‘Show me. What’s it of?’
Maddie slowly turned the picture round on her lap and a vision of Thanassis as they’d first seen him stared back. He was sat on the metal chair next to his fish stall, smoking a cigarette with his boat behind him. His brilliant blue eyes held a note of promise, and his battered cap was slightly off at an angle.
‘Stun…ning. You’ve captured him to a tee, Char. You’re really good at this.’
‘Thanks.’ Charlotte looked over at Maddie with concern. She still hadn’t spoken. ‘I couldn’t sleep last night, after getting about fourteen hours the night before, so I got up and painted these. They’re only simple watercolours, but it felt so good to be painting again.’
