‘Yep.’ Alice inhaled. Yes, she was, though it was hard to wrap her head around the fact that she actually lived here now, albeit temporarily.
‘That’s great, looking forward to getting to know you. If you need anything, just say the word, we’ve all been coming here for years now.’
‘We’ve basically never grown up.’ A man, similar in height to Marco but of a stockier build, and with the same open face, leant over and kissed both her cheeks before slinging an arm around Lola. ‘Hello Alice, I’m Noah.’
‘Noah is my big brother,’ Marco said with a sweet pride. ‘And Lola is his wife, so she is my sister now, sort of.’
‘Ah, when did you get married?’ Alice asked. They were a good-looking couple. They looked like the type of couple that would have a cool Instagram and adopt huskies and do loads of adrenaline-pumping activities before having fantastic athletic sex, stopping only to go and get more beer. Maybe she should stop reading that book.
‘In the summer just gone,’ Lola replied. ‘Well, the winter. It was in New Zealand in July at this place called The Ledge near Queenstown, which is where we live for half the year.’
‘We basically follow the snow backwards and forwards from her country to mine.’
‘The wedding wasinsane,’ continued Lola.
Noah cut in. ‘Insane.’
‘At this place – The Ledge – you are literally on this flat rock near the top of a mountain, in the snow, with these beautiful views and you have to get there by helicopter. Thank Christ it was a nice day, eh?’
‘Imagine if it had rained, oh my God!’ Noah laughed.
‘It really was – wow!’ Marco interjected. ‘I was very lucky to be there as best man. Just two witnesses allowed.’
‘Well, we needed you there in case either of us fell off the cliff,’ said Lola.
‘I was not invited.’ The last man in the house stepped forward and greeted Alice. ‘I’m David.’
‘We will renew our vows just for you,’ Noah said, patting him on the back.
‘Are you also related to . . . someone?’ Alice asked.
‘No, Marco and I are old friends. We served together in the military.’
‘How long were you in the army?’ She turned to Marco.
‘About a year,’ he replied in that easy-going voice. ‘It’s mandatory in Switzerland, everybody is conscripted. You don’t have that in England, do you?’
‘No, nothing like that. How did you find it?’
‘Alice, I’m so sorry to interrupt,’ David said. ‘Marco, we have to get going to HQ. Were you going to come with us to get the lift passes?’
‘Oh shit, you’re right!’ Marco replied, and Noah and Lola jumped to attention too. Alice noted how polite they were to talk to each other in English with her around. Or maybe it was for Lola’s sake. Either way, it was nice. Marco turned to Alice. ‘These guys have to go and check in with the ski school to say, “Hey, we’ve arrived, hello, put us on your payroll please, and give me a lift pass thank you.” I usually go with them just to make myself all ready for the season.’
‘Of course, go, go. Come on Bear. Bear, head out of the bin.’
‘You’ll join us for dinner tonight, right?’
The others all chorused in welcoming agreement.
‘I would need to bring him, though.’ She pointed at the puppy, who still hadn’t removed his head. ‘I haven’t really left him alone here yet for more than an hour.’Here, or anywhere.
‘Yes of course, we’re all family now, this winter.’
Somewhere, Alice felt like Jill would have smiled at that.
