Alice sank her head down on her arms, which rested on the wood of the balcony. She cried, and two sets of hands placed themselves on her back, Vanessa and Lola soothing her.
‘Happy New Year,’ Jill said in her ear, and was gone.
Alice took a deep breath and stood back up, wiping her eyes. ‘Sorry, I couldn’t stop that coming out.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ said Vanessa. ‘Can I get you anything?’
She shook her head. ‘It’s okay. It’s gone now, and it’s okay.’
At that moment, the bells in both of Mürren’s churches began tinkling happily. The balcony door opened and Marco stepped out, his face happy, with Bear budging his way past him, smiling up at Alice. The sight of them was just the tonic she needed.
‘This is the ringing out of the old year,’ he explained, peering into the darkness. ‘This is how we say goodbye to everything that happened over the past twelve months.’ He then looked over and spotted Alice’s pink eyes under the lamplight. ‘Should we come back?’
‘No, no,’ said Alice, beckoning them all out. ‘It’s nearly midnight, come on out.’
He stepped over and without a care for the raised eyebrows or unsubtle nudges, put an arm around Alice and pulled her close. She returned the hug, holding him around the waist and looking out at the mountains, enjoying his warmth. Moments later, her shins were nudged with the heavy lump of Bear sitting and leaning against her.
‘Here it comes,’ said David, and sure enough the church bells went silent for a moment, until just one started chiming the countdown to the new year.
‘Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . ’
Warrior women, that’s what Lola had called the three of them. As they all counted down, Alice stood a little taller and met the eyes of her sisters.
‘Seven . . . six . . . five . . . ’
She put more power behind her voice with every number.
‘Four . . . three . . . two . . . ’
Brave . . . Strong . . . Happy . . .
‘Happy New Year!’ they cried in unison, and Alice was brave. She reached up and took Marco’s cheeks between her gloves and pulled him into her. They kissed, and it was full of life, just like she needed.
His hands touched her hips, pulling her a little closer, and she felt his mouth curve into a smile against hers. They broke apart only a moment later, but a dizzy pleasure remained, unmasked, on her whole body, and before they moved away to wish a happy new year to the others, Marco caught her eye and beamed, stroking a hand over her hair, his fingers causing tingles down her neck.
Someone grabbed her arm. It was Lola, pulling Alice into an embrace. ‘Happy New Year, future sister-in-law!’ she shrieked.
‘Look over there,’ said Noah in a loud whisper. He pointed to David and Vanessa, kissing in the corner. ‘I think we’ve lost them to the night.’
Alice grinned, and as the church bells regained their happy chorus, and the merry bunch took each other’s hands, she was ready to be lost to the night.
