They packed the children off home and went to Nandos. Serena had only had takeaway from there, the noise of the restaurant too overwhelming for Jason to sit in and she appreciated not having to talk for a while. There was time for that in the Holiday Inn room that they had spontaneously booked into. Bernie had taken charge at that point and taken out her card for an economy double bed, no hesitations. They sat on the bed awkwardly at first, then relaxed side by side propped up on the pillows.

'I wrote to you. All the time.'

'Really?' Serena hadn't received any correspondence.

'They're sitting in my draft inbox. I never sent them.'

That would make sense.

'Would you send them to me sometime? I've missed out on so much.'

Bernie immediately sent them to her.

'I saw photos of Gwen. She's lovely.'

She could see the regret on Serena's face that Bernie had missed out on such precious moments.

'No matter what happens between us, you'll always be her aunt.'

'Great aunt.'

'Whatever.'

She looked the same, messy blonde hair, pink coat but there was a melancholy in her eyes that matched with Serena's. Serena took her time in reading all those emails that had finally winged their way to her, read bits and pieces out loud and asked about what had happened next and before long, it was as if they'd gone back to the start when their friendship was valuable and warm hearted, the way it was supposed to be. She learned that Bernie was staying in Kentish Town with Cam for the time being. Not that far to travel from where Serena was now living. Woodside Park. Suburban life in London.

'How is Charlotte?'

Bernie wasn't sure what to say. She was still trying to get used to it. Her pretty, intelligent daughter transitioning into a handsome, articulate son. She told Serena in a few sentences. Serena raised her eyebrows.

'Wow. I didn't expect that.'

'We never saw it coming' murmured Bernie. They'd all banded together to make Charlie feel as supported, as close as they'd ever been as a family.

'I'm just getting used to having two sons. But it'll be alright. Charlie is starting to trust me again. I need to do it right this time.'

'I know what you mean.'

Elinor's accident had floored them all. In a coma for five months, it had taken all of everyone's energy to keep going, lives almost broken apart at the seams. Serena's drinking and aggression had been at all time high and Bernie had only just been able to restrain her during work hours. That near miss when she'd thought Serena had decided to plunge off the roof, the chapter when Serena had to take time off work for a year to help rebuild Elinor's life, the spring when it seemed like mother and daughter had finally turned a corner. It had all seemed to come to a head when Serena made one of her biggest mistakes yet and in her relief at the nightmare receding into the distance, had kissed another woman. At work of all places. She'd acted too recklessly, too soon and Bernie had to escape the whirlpool dragging her to the depths of her murky imagination. She'd never felt so betrayed, especially as Serena had admitted it hadn't been worth it. To throw away everything they had on a fleeting moment was too much to bear.

In the end, it was Serena that had told her to go, while she was vacillating between staying for Cam and leaving for her career. Gently told her that she would be better off without her, in a corner of the world that would appreciate Bernie better. It wasn't going to work out between them. It had felt like a relief when she'd walked out but the pain had hit her several hours later and she'd never been able to shake it off, the return flight to Nairobi leaving her exhausted and burnt out. She'd done so well out there but now that the trauma centre was up and running and thriving very well, she'd felt aimless. She'd taken another post elsewhere but it had come to an end sooner than she would have liked. She found out that Serena and her family had left Holby for good a year ago, having decided that a fresh start was what they needed. Elinor was in the midst of studying to be an English teacher and Serena was working at a new hospital. With the little one to think of and for peace of mind, they'd embraced slower living and it was clear that it was doing them all some good. Bernie was glad that Serena was getting what she'd hadn't at Holby. That place was haunted with the past and they were well rid of it.