Sunrise By the Sea by Jenny Colgan

Chapter Seventy-nine

The twins just about got to the end of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ at more or less the same time. Huckle glanced up at Polly, who was going through the post, now Jayden had managed to take over so many shifts at the bakery.

‘I’m not sure,’ he said, ‘that they’re genuinely massive prodigies.’

‘I LOVE MY PIANO,’ shouted Avery loudly and they let them play it again.

‘Goodness,’ Polly said, and handed over the letter she’d just opened. Huckle stared at it, then whistled.

‘Why is Reuben doing this?’

‘He isn’t – his lawyers are insisting. If we promise never to sue – which we never would—’

‘I would,’ said Huckle furiously.

‘Well. Anyway,’ said Polly.

He looked at it again.

‘That’s a lot of new windows,’ she said. ‘And OMG a boiler. OMG. Water pressure in the shower.’

‘Oh my God,’ said Huckle.

‘I think we each need one piano,’ said Daisy seriously.

‘YES! MORE PIANO!’ said Avery, banging his little fists ferociously on the old upright.

‘Oh lord,’ said Polly. ‘But also, you know . . .’

‘What?’

‘They haven’t finished fixing the causeway yet. It could go towards that . . .’

‘You genuinely want to fix the island rather than our windows?’

‘Can’t we do both?’

Huckle pulled her over to him.

‘One of these days,’ he said, ‘we are going to have that tropical vacation.’

‘Eh, you’d be bored,’ said Polly, kissing him as the twins played a triumphant chorus and Neil moved from one leg to the other on top of the piano, in what was almost certainly not (or, possibly was) a dance.