It’s a perfect Indian summer. The sky is a luminous blue, the air bursting with the promise of true warmth. Not a day for cardigans and jackets, but for shorts and swimming costumes, factor-thirty sun cream, and parasols. The beach isn’t busy yet so we’ve managed to nab a great spot down at Branksome, far enough away from the busiest areas, yet not too far from the shop, toilets and café. I’m sitting cross-legged on the rug, under the sun umbrella, head down, engrossed in my novel.

‘Sorry we’re late.’

I glance up to see my sister Beth, her wife Carys, and their daughter Megan laden down with bags. They only live a few minutes’ walk from here but they’re already red-faced and sweaty.

‘Hey,’ I say.

‘Hi, Aunty Louisa. Where’s Joe?’ Megan asks, her strawberry blonde curls tumbling out from her sun hat. My niece has similar skin colouring to me, so she has to be extra careful in the sun.

‘Hi, sweetie,’ I reply. ‘Joe and Uncle Jared are out on their paddle boards. Do you want to go out on a board with Uncle Jared?’

She nods, so I put my Kindle down and start to get up. ‘I’ll take you down to the sea.’

‘That’s okay,’ Carys says, wriggling out of her shorts. ‘Stay. I’ll take her. I want a swim anyway.’

Beth and I stand together and watch them head down to the water’s edge, Megan running ahead, and Carys waving to Jared and Joe.

‘What time are Mum and Dad coming?’ I ask, sitting back down.

‘They should be here any minute – that is if Mum can tear Dad away from the garden.’ Beth plops down beside me.

‘I was there last week, dropping a book off for Mum, and they were ballroom dancing around the dining room.’ I smile at the memory.

‘They’re doing evening classes,’ Beth says.

I nod. They already told me about it.

‘Salsa, Bollywood and Ballroom,’ we say in unison, dissolving into giggles.

‘Well, this is bloody nice,’ Beth says, propping herself up with one arm and turning to face me.

It’s so not fair – her blonde pixie cut frames gorgeous dark honey-coloured skin, while my pale auburn curls are frizzing around my freckle-spattered face. I coil my hair up on top of my head, holding it off my neck for a moment, wishing I’d thought to bring a hair tie.

‘How are you guys, anyway?’ I say. ‘How’s Megan getting on at school?’

‘Really good. A few wobbles at first, but now she loves it. How about Joe?’

‘Yeah, great. We still can’t afford it, though.’ I laugh, trying to conceal my anxiety.

My sister and her wife are lawyers. They live in a gorgeous three-bedroom apartment, just a few minutes from the beach. Megan started at Cerne Manor last year, which is when Jared got the idea to send Joe there. The difference is, my sister and Carys earn a six-figure salary, and we don’t.

‘Will you have to take him out of the school?’ Beth asks, her brow wrinkling. ‘I’m sure we can help if—’

‘No, no, we’re okay. I’m just panicking as usual. Thing is, Jared’s got it into his head that he wants to leave his job and set up his own agency.’

‘Oh?’

‘Actually, he’s skipped the “thinking about it” phase. Just wants to do it.’

Beth doesn’t respond. She nods with a thoughtful expression on her face.

‘In case you can’t tell, I’m not thrilled with the idea,’ I say.

‘Maybe it’ll be okay,’ she says. ‘If anyone can do it, Jared can. He’s a hard worker and people love him. He’ll charm the business into a success.’

I force out a smile.

‘Don’t worry, Louisa. You know what Jared’s like. For as long as you’ve known him, he’s always been ambitious. He’s always wanted the best – it’s why he married you.’ She grins and pokes me in the chest.

Beth always has a way of making me feel better about things. Making me less anxious. She’s only three years older than me, but she’s so much more together. I wish I could be more like her.

‘Anyway, sorry, let’s not worry about that now,’ I say, pushing away my anxiety and focusing instead on the sea and the sky. On the image of my family bobbing about on the water, and on the heat of the sun on my skin.

‘Hello, girls.’

Beth and I turn at the sound of our father’s voice. We both make a move to stand. Mum motions us to stay where we are.

‘Hello, darlings,’ Mum says. ‘We brought chairs. Us old fogies can’t get up and down off the rug like you young ’uns.’

‘Rubbish,’ Beth says. ‘You guys are fitter than the lot of us.’

She’s not wrong. Mum looks amazing, with her slim figure and swingy, blonde bobbed hair, and Dad is a sprightly sixty-year-old with salt-and-pepper hair and a trim physique. Beth and I get to our feet despite their admonishments for us to stay seated, and we hug and kiss our parents, helping them set out their chairs and parasols.

‘Where are my gorgeous grandchildren?’ Mum asks as she roots around in her cold-bag.

‘In the sea,’ Beth answers, ‘with Jared and Carys.’

‘I remember you two were such water babies,’ Dad says. ‘Couldn’t keep you out of the sea.’

‘Watermelon?’ Mum asks. ‘I cut up some slices. It’s nice and cold, just what you want on a scorcher like today.’

Unable to have more children, Mum and Dad adopted me when I was ten, and yet they always treated me exactly the same as Beth, as though I’m their natural daughter. I love them for it. To me, they are my real parents and I try not to think about the time before I was with them.

The rest of the day passes in a haze of sun cream and picnic food. I’m nicely tired. Ready for a glass of wine at home. Megan is becoming fractious, though. Her voice now a semitone below whiny, her bottom lip quivering.

‘We better get this one home,’ Carys says, scooping her daughter up and kissing her apple-red cheeks.

‘No! I don’t want to go,’ Megan cries.

‘Shh, baby,’ Mum says. ‘Give her to me while you get your things together.’

Carys gratefully deposits Megan onto Mum’s lap.

‘We’re going, too,’ I say to my niece, heaving myself up and surveying our messy encampment. ‘We’re all going. It’s time for baths and beds.’

‘Hey, guys.’

I turn my head at the sound of a familiar voice.

‘Tyler!’ Joe yells. ‘Awesome.’

It’s Darcy, Tyler and an older guy – balding, but in good shape – who I assume must be her husband. They look like something out of a luxury holiday brochure. Her, in a sheer turquoise kaftan, Aviators, and boho jewellery, hair sun-kissed and lightly tousled. Him, in a white shirt, Ray-Bans, and khaki shorts. By contrast, I must appear crumpled and sweaty. I attempt to brush the sand from my clothes and hair.

‘Hey,’ Darcy says. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’

We kiss on the cheek.

‘Hi,’ I say.

‘This is my husband, Mike.’

‘Good to meet you,’ he says with a smile. Mike seems as warm and friendly as Darcy.

‘This is Jared,’ I say with a swell of possessive pride. Next, I introduce my parents – John and Barb – then Beth, Carys and Megan.

‘You look like you’ve had a great day,’ Darcy says, eyeing our picnic rug, paddle boards, wet towels and plastic Tesco rubbish bags. ‘Nice boards,’ she adds. ‘We love paddle boarding.’

A tinge of envy needles me. Because of my knee, I can’t manage many sports activities any more.

‘We’re just packing up,’ I say.

‘Well,’ Darcy says. ‘You should all come back to our place for a drink. We’re just a few minutes’ walk along the beach. We can fire up the barbeque. John, Barb, and everyone, you’re more than welcome, we’d love you all to come, too.

‘Can we?’ Joe asks, turning to me, his eyes round and pleading.

‘It’s a bit late,’ I say. ‘You’ve got school tomorrow.’

‘He’ll be fine,’ Jared says, not picking up on my reluctance. He turns to Darcy and Mike. ‘We’d love to come.’

‘Thank you for the kind invitation,’ my dad says, ‘but we’ll bow out this time.’

‘Dad’s itching to get back to his garden,’ I say.

He ruffles my hair. ‘You know me so well, LouLou.’

Beth gives me a sympathetic glance. ‘Thanks for the offer,’ she says to Darcy. ‘But Megan here is about to have the mother of all meltdowns. We need to get her home, pronto.’

‘I totally understand,’ Darcy says. ‘What a sweetie, though. Another time?’

‘Absolutely,’ Carys says, expertly folding up their travel rug.

Eventually, we say our goodbyes to my parents, my sister and her family, waving as they leave the beach and head back home.

‘We’re in the car park,’ Jared says. ‘We’ll pack up and drive round to yours, shall we?’

Mike nods. ‘Sure. We’ll head back along the beach – take Joe with us, if you like.’

Joe’s face lights up. He and Tyler high five each other and make off down the beach kicking Joe’s football to each other as they go.

‘Thanks. See you there,’ Jared says. He shakes Mike’s hand and kisses Darcy’s cheek.

It’s funny how you can just click with people. It already feels like we’ve known them for ages. They head off along the beach towards Sandbanks, while Jared and I turn our attention to packing away our gear.

‘They seem nice,’ Jared says.

‘Really friendly,’ I agree. ‘I wish we had time to go home and get changed. I feel like a right mess.’

‘You look fine,’ Jared says, brushing sand off his board. ‘It’s just a barbeque.’

‘She’s so glamorous, though.’ I drag my fingers through salt-encrusted hair.

‘Yeah, but you’re a natural beauty.’ He winks, and my heart swoops. My husband still has the ability to make me blush. Sod it. Who cares if my clothes are creased and my makeup has melted. Like Jared says – it’s just a barbeque.

Half an hour later, Jared and Mike are out on the decking, firing up the state-of-the-art gas grill. Tyler and Joe are on the kitchen sofas, heads together, glued to Tyler’s iPad. The house is immaculate but there’s no sign of the maid this evening. Darcy’s taking some thinly sliced steaks and salmon out of the fridge.

‘Surf ‘n’ turf,’ she says. ‘I’ll make us up a salad, too.’

‘Sounds great,’ I say. ‘Can I do anything to help?’

‘No, sit, keep me company,’ she says, pointing to a bar stool by the vast black-granite island.

I plonk myself down with my glass of ice-cold beer and watch as she pulls out tub after tub of freshly-prepared salads from the American-style fridge – pasta salad, wild rice salad, green salads and more. She lifts down several glass bowls from a cupboard and spoons out the contents of the tubs. The salads must have all been prepared that day, and I’ll bet it wasn’t Darcy who made them. Not that I’m criticising. If I had the money, I’d love to have my fridge stocked with delicious, healthy food.

I sip my beer and enjoy the buzz. I’m glad we came. This is the perfect end to a lovely day. ‘It’s so nice of you to invite us over this evening,’ I say.

‘Psht.’ Darcy waves away my comment with a smile. ‘I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be great friends. And look,’ – she points outside at Jared and Mike who are chatting away like they’ve known each other forever – ‘our husbands are getting on like a house on fire, and our sons are in heaven.’

‘I can’t believe Joe has found such a good friend already,’ I say.

‘He’s a lovely boy,’ Darcy says. ‘We had great fun during the sleepover the other night. I’ll just take the steaks outside to Mike.’ She picks up the platter. I stand and take it off her.

‘I’ll go.’

‘Thanks,’ she says with a warm smile.

I walk out onto the deck, enjoying the glow of the sinking sun on my face and arms. They stop talking and turn to me. Mike’s wearing a navy striped apron, and he smiles as I hand him the heaped platter of meat and fish.

‘Thanks, Louisa. I think the barby should be hot enough now.’

‘Mike’s been telling me about the office buildings he’s developing in Poole,’ Jared says.

‘Not talking business are you, boys?’ Darcy brings out the covered salads and places them on the table.

‘Just making conversation,’ Mike says. ‘Jared’s in advertising. Maybe he could help us with our latest project?’

‘Sounds good,’ Darcy replies.

‘I’m actually thinking about setting up my own agency,’ Jared says.

My relaxed mood disappears at his words. He shouldn’t be talking about this to other people. Not until we’ve discussed it properly between us.

‘It’s still just an idea,’ I say. ‘Nothing definite.’

Darcy nips back inside and returns with our drinks. I take my beer from her gratefully and gulp down the chilled alcohol. A sudden gust of wind lifts a pile of napkins from the table, scattering them across the deck. I bend down to gather them up.

‘You can recommend Jared to some of your clients,’ Darcy says to Mike. ‘Mike knows everyone who’s anyone. If you’re setting up a new business, Mike can open a lot of doors.’

I dump the napkins back on the table and watch in dismay as my husband’s eyes come alive with the numerous possibilities opening up before him. This is just the green light he needs to go steaming ahead with his plan.

‘Yeah, sure,’ Mike says, picking up the tongs and transferring the steaks onto the grill. ‘I can think of at least a dozen companies who aren’t happy with their current ad campaigns.’ He turns to Jared. ‘Question is – are you any good?’ He smiles at my husband but there’s an edge to it. He’s assessing Jared, waiting for his answer.

I wonder how serious Darcy and Mike are about actually putting Jared in touch with potential clients. Maybe they genuinely do want to help, or perhaps they’re simply making conversation. I guess Darcy’s words could sound like bragging, but I’m betting they really do know the right people. Maybe their contacts could give us the security we need.

Jared reels off a list of accounts he’s successfully pitched for – all prestigious household names. He tells Mike about the awards he’s won, and about the calibre of people who’ll be working for him.

Mike nods, his mouth quirking upwards. Won over by my husband’s enthusiasm and credentials, he claps Jared on the back. ‘We’ll have a meeting. Call me next week.’

Thankfully, no more business is discussed, and we spend the rest of the evening enjoying the perfect food and the perfect sunset. Joe is excitable and funny. Jared is witty and charming. And I am quiet. Happy that my boys are happy, yet unable to quell the bubbling anxiousness in my stomach. Hoping I’ll feel calmer by morning.