After what feels like the longest ten minutes since life began, Graham comes back downstairs with an expression that gives no obvious indication as to how he's taken the news. During which time and because they've heard nothing other than water running, Harry's suggested he's either trying to drown himself, or is using it as a means to mask out incredulous laughter.

None of which makes for a comfortable mealtime for the couple in question. Whereas the super grass is just happy that not only is his adoption official, but he assumes that the reason his dad can't take his eyes off his mum, is because he's happy again. That and because Graham has come to stay, he'll have his brother sharing his room now that Angus has gone home.

.

'If anyone other than Ruth had met me the other day, told me that you'd retired, were adopting a child and getting married again, I don't think I'd be here,' Graham tells Harry. Who having lost the fight to do the washing, had suggested to Graham that as they needed to talk, in private being implied, he'd drive them to where there are some over turned fishing boats.

Boats which always remind him of a family of turtles who haven't quite made it into the sea. Something he remembers from a book that Graham had insisted he read to him, which at the time had made him wonder if Graham would pursue a career that would see him heading to places which were obscure and dangerous. Only for Catherine to do exactly that.

'Ruth tends to do things like that. She's way ahead of me when it comes to being forthright,' he tells Graham. Resorting to the use of a word that he'd first thrown at Ruth. How it had made him feel being that close to her. Exhilarated to the point where he'd dared to lean in and whisper, 'well bring it back' when she'd said she'd stolen the micro dot reader. Never imagining that they'd be where they are now. Which is why he presumes that not only does he need to explain why Wes is seemingly obsessed by what he himself wants to happen, but wants Graham to understand the run up to them setting up home here and what he still can't quite believe has been a relatively easy process to adopt Wes.

Going on to tell him, not only what is a very low-key version of the way Fiona came to be killed, but in contrast, the full extent to which Adam had sacrificed himself and why. Something which had seen him taking his obligation to look after Wes very seriously, without appreciating how difficult the task would be. Which had led Malcolm, who is the only name that means anything to Graham, to go in search of Ruth. The trip to Paris when Ruth had been here and the reason that she'd come back, which had been to be near him. Proving to Graham because he feels that he needs to, that the relationship he and Ruth have, not only has a long backstory, but is what's changed him.

Which leads the expression on Graham's face to change to one of shock and say, 'poor little kid.' Before asking him, 'if what Wes had said about them trying for a baby is true?' With no mention of what he's told him about his and Ruth's convoluted past, or what he's now reliving, which was the moment when he'd wanted to close the blinds in his office and kiss his analyst.

'Yes, and as ridiculous as it probably sounds at my age, it's what we both want. And not just because of Wes's desire to have a brother or a sister of his own. Or devalue what I hope will be a developing relationship between yourself and Wes,' he tells his eldest son.

'Dad I fine with all that I really am,' and Harry breathes normally. Until. 'But I do have one other question. Who else do you think Wes might have told?'

Ruth is upstairs, as she always is on a Friday evening when Wes comes home from school. His bag of dirty linen emptied into a pile in the corner of his room and a fresh pile on a chair waiting to replace it. It's a routine that she's got used to and has to admit she finds therapeutic. Until her phone rings and she sees Harry calling on the screen. Her first thought being that Graham hasn't taken the news about the baby well.

Only to hear him say, 'Graham's fine but you need to ask Wes if he's told anyone else?'

'Why me?' She knows is an irrelevant question.

'Because I love you and you'll do a far better job that I will,' she can't argue with. That and knowing if she doesn't do it right away, she'll lose her nerve.

'Bye,' she says. Before changing to a voice which she likes to think of as sounding motherly, now that auntie Ruth has been dispatched into the North Sea, saying, 'why don't we leave that until later darling?' In reference to the fresh set of bed linen that Wes is bringing over to replace what is still languishing on the infamous mattress after Angus's visit. A visit which had caused Harry to suggest that Wes was running his own version of an Air B&B without telling them and has now landed her with another conversation that needs to be handled delicately.

'OK,' says Wes, who she just wants to put her arms around, such is his innocence. A boy who never says no when they ask him to do anything and with every week that goes by seems to have grown taller. To the point where he's now nearly as tall as she is.

In this case, laying what she hopes is the foundation to the answer she wants, when she says, 'yes of course you can and I'll have one as well.' When they walk into the kitchen and he asks, 'can I have a hot chocolate?' As opposed to opening the bottle of red wine which has her name on it. Reminding her that when they'd got back to the hotel having taken Graham home, with resolutions made on both sides, how she and Harry had just fallen into bed and each other's arms. Doing exactly what Wes is spouting about. Desperation which had seen them laughing and crying at the same time when they'd been making love. A night that neither of them had wanted to end and by the way Harry had kissed her before he'd gone out with Graham, suggests will be repeated tonight.

First things first she tells herself, so in the same way that she'd approached Graham, she opts for fresh air and heads out into the garden. With the added advantage that as the light is starting to fade, if Harry and Graham get back before she's finished talking to Wes, they won't immediately know where they are.

Only to find that Wes beats her to it by asking, 'is everything alright now with you and dad?'

'Yes,' she tells him. 'Your dad's not tired anymore, so we're fine.'

'That's good, because when I told Michael, he said I was imagining things,' says Wes.

What things? she wants to ask him. Instead opting for what she hopes isn't doing the rounds of Wes's class by asking him in a voice which doesn't imply that she's accusing him of breaking the official secrets act, 'did you tell Michael that dad and I are trying to make babies?'

'Of course not. That's private. I only told Graham, because he's my brother now isn't he.'

'Yes, he is,' says Ruth,' wondering why on earth they doubted him. 'Now come here your mum needs a cuddle,' she tells him. Imagining how she'll feel if she and Harry do have a baby. The exhilaration of holding something so precious in her arms.

Any one from three, but it's Harry who gets the vote when it's time for Wes to go to bed. Which leaves Ruth on her own with Graham again. Only this time it's him who starts the conversation by saying, 'dad told me what happened to Wes's parents. How does a child his age come back from something like that?'

'Slowly and with a lot of love support from the people that mean a lot to him Graham, which includes you,' she tells him.

'Someone who thought that his life had come to an end when his parents split up. How do you think that makes me feel?'

'I don't know Graham and I'm not prepared to speculate. But what I do know, is that you're more than capable of being the brother that Wes wants you to be. Oh, and just as an afterthought, when you come back for the wedding, you won't have to sleep on the floor,' she tells him. Because not only is she emotionally drained, but the last thing she needs is to hear about is the saga that led to Harry's divorce from Jane. It's bad enough that she can still remember he had an affair with Juliet.

'So, when is it? Where's it going to be and how many people are coming?' Graham asks them both when a bare footed Harry, pads back downstairs. Causing Ruth to go off on an altogether different tangent that involves sand, sea and a starlit sky.

'Soon. Probably on the beach and with as few people as possible,' Harry tells him, sending Ruth's imagination into orbit.

'What is it with you guys and your obsession with the beach?'

Guys thinks Harry who is trying to think of an answer that doesn't start with the words 'when you get to my age the last thing you want is a lot of fuss being made.' Or tell Graham that it's where he and Ruth have paved the way to a future that even if they do have a baby, won't mean that they'll have to change the way that they live.

So instead opts for, 'it's our new happy place.'

'And if it's pouring with rain?'

'Then we'll get wet. No, I'm only kidding. Angela's sorting everything out.'

'Angela's arranging your wedding?'

'Yes, and you'll need to invest in a suit, because I'd like you to be my best man,' Harry tells him. But not that Malcolm had willingly relinquished the task, when Harry had rung him and said that Ruth had orchestrated a meeting with Graham. Malcolm who if he can get the time off, still wants to come.

'Right,' says Graham, looking anything but convinced that he's up to the task.

Predictable as they are and not only to please Wes this time, the following morning they take Graham to Southwold. With a vague and fluid plan to open Graham's eyes even further to what Suffolk has to offer. Normal things, like shops, hotels, pubs and a leisure centre, in the hope that he'll come to visit them on a regular basis from now on. As opposed to thinking it's a back water to where people like them come to retire. Helped on what is the latest in what have been a long line of sunny days. So much so that the restaurant which sells fish and chips, has tables laid outside and where because it's what they do, they have lunch. The irony of predictability not having been lost on them.

What they don't mention are the bitter winds that come in from Siberia in the winter, or that Harry and Wes spent a few not so happy days in the local hospital in the run up to Christmas. They'll leave Wes to do that in his own good time.

'You do realise, that if we have a boy, he'll be your third,' says Ruth when their walking along the pier eating ice creams. Another of the exiting things that people do when they come on holiday to Suffolk, which they've added to their list for the next time they're questioned about their new found way of life. Stopping to lean against the railing to see if they can spot Wes, who somewhere in amongst the swimmers and paddlers, is giving Graham a virtual lesson on the art of sea fishing.

'That and we really do need to decide on a date for the wedding and work out why as Graham put it, we're so obsessed with getting up early and walking on the beach Ruth?'

'We as opposed to me when I first came home. It's not rocket science Harry. You only have to look where we're leaning.'

'The roof terrace at Thames Houses. The benches in the London parks. We like to think of the beach as being ours don't we.'

'Exactly that. But there's a difference now Harry.'

'Is there?'

'It's taken me until now to realise that other people don't see as being anything other than a conventional couple Harry. Or make judgements about the decisions we make or think that we're crazy to get up at five in the morning to allow us to walk on an empty beach. It's you and I who believe in some way that we're still different.'

'And Angela? What does she think?

'She knows what makes us tick Harry. Not all of it of course. That's why we can be sure she's not thinking of doing anything outrageous on our wedding day.'

'Date still to be decided?'

'Date still to be decided.'

.

Conventional which doesn't of course stretch as far as Ruth having a hen party or Harry getting wasted with his eldest son the night before their wedding. Instead, they're spending the night together at home. While the remainder of the guests are enjoying themselves in one of Southwold's finest. Guests who not only include Malcolm and Graham. The latter of whom having been pushed into doing it by Harry, has invited a nurse called Mel, who up until now he's never had the courage to ask out, means that the list has expanded beyond what they'd originally envisaged. A list which includes Andrew and his wife and their two kids, Angus and his parents and the Nichols family.

Whilst Wes who has spent the day helping to set things up. How they don't know, because not only has he been keeping radio silence but they've been banned from going anywhere near beach, is having a sleepover with Angela and Michael. The only other guest and the one who'd responded by saying that he'd loved to come, is their elderly neighbour Mr. Willis. With the assurance that it won't matter if he doesn't bring his swim togs on the grounds that he doesn't have any that fit. In response to Angela's suggestion attached to each and every invitation, that at some time during the evening, they strip out of their finery and go for a swim.

Something which by this time tomorrow, could well be happening. To include the newly married couple, who as of now haven't organised a honeymoon? Is a question that's anyone's guess.