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Raff wandered along the shoreline, tracking beach crabs with a small flashlight as the sky turned a deep plum hue.

Deacon uncorked a bottle of local white wine, poured two glasses, handed one to me, then lay on his side beside me.

We talked about the band, his brother and sister, and their latest antics.

He told me how his continual concert tours left him increasingly burned out and why the holidays and breaks were getting longer.

‘I think the lads and I are craving more than just the performances, the crowds and the accolades,’ he said, staring at the tide. ‘Life has a different meaning now. It’s about how precious time is and how we should spend it with those we love.’

‘You’ve changed, Vega,’ I said, rotating my glass between my fingers. ‘You were relentless when it came to your music, always on the go, playing every venue that would have you. Now you really do seem to have slowed down. You’re calmer, less irritable and jumpy. I used to walk on eggshells around you.’

The revelation jolted him.

He turned towards me, his expression hardening.

‘You did?’

‘I admit I was also to blame,’ I said. ‘But you intimidated me with how big and shouty you could be sometimes. Now you’re chilled, laid-back and easy to talk to.’

He chuckled, the rich sound vibrating in his chest.

‘I grew up, Mama, and my hard shell softened. Took me long enough.’

‘Good things take time, I murmured as I studied his profile.

The wild rock star I married years ago had finally become the steady, mature man I’d always yearned for.

Except he wasn’t mine anymore.

I let him go, and now I had to live with the fallout.

Chapter 17

DEACON

The following day was busy and full-on.

Christine left us to it again, heading out for a Spanish movie marathon with a group of new friends she’d made in the village.

Ana, Raff, and I drove around Mijas, visited the historic bullring and the whitewashed Sanctuary of Virgen de la Peña, then stopped for a swim at Nikki Beach.

After a long lunch at an ocean-facing café, Ana spent an hour on the shore with Raff, showing him how to use a camera to capture the perfect shot.

They also played with his video drone, capturing aerial footage that amazed us.

I loved watching Ana work the camera, amazed at how she could spot beauty in the most random, unassuming places and faces.

Raff seemed to be picking up her talent too, and his shots were also impressive, which pleased him no end.

We returned to the villa exhausted and sated after a day of exploring and swimming.

‘Hey, I’m going to game in my room upstairs,’ Raff declared.

When I checked on him ten minutes later, I found him sprawled across his bed, fast asleep, a soft, contented smile lingering on his face.

I tucked him beneath a sheet, closed his door, and headed back downstairs.

The living room was in shadow, illuminated by three oversized vanilla candles flickering on the stone mantelpiece.