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If hungry?Mia wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and fling the shagging pots on the floor. She had worked like a maniac all day, done all the extras on the way home, collected the damn chops and he was suggesting shemightbe hungry. Was he for real? And, as usual, he was off playing best dad in the bloody world. Fun Dad. Dad who never gives Riley grief. Never nags. Mia felt completely alone. Who was going to take her out for a treat after her crappy day? Who was going to make her feel better? Cheer her up? As usual, no one. She was on her own. Suck it up, Mia. This is your life.

Mia sank into a kitchen chair and put her head in her hands. The silence of the house was heavy around her, and her limbs felt as if they were made of concrete. She should get up and put on the heating. She should tidy and empty the machine. She should reheat the soup. She knew those were the sensible, grown-up things to do, but she felt broken with exhaustion and disappointment. Instead, she cried. Mia was not one for crying, and she knew her mother would be utterly horrified at the sight of her giving in like that, but it was just too much. She had nothing left to give.I’m sorry, Mum, she thought,but my life has gone down the toilet and I don’t know what to do. Sitting alone at the messy table, Mia cried until her throat was sore. She felt absolutely wretched.

When the front door opened at ten thirty, the kitchen was clean and tidy, all the pots put away, everything in its place.Mia had eaten the soup, and she had found the wine bottle, half full, then realized she just couldn’t stomach it. The clothes were out of the dryer, folded and in the hot press. There was another load on in the washing-machine. She’d tidied the house, and was now sitting on the sofa, a smile glued to her lips, her face washed and showing no sign of the tears that had overtaken her earlier.

Johnny and Riley came into the room. ‘You would have enjoyed that film,’ Johnny said cheerfully, falling onto the sofa beside her.

‘I’m sure I would, but I was kind of busy doing everything in the house after a really tough day at work. So …’

‘There’s no need to be like that, Mum.’

Mia looked at her in surprise. ‘What? Grumpy? Fed-up? I dunno, Riley, how would you feel if you’d come home after your “tough” day at school to a cold, empty house and had to spend two hours cleaning and washing?’

‘You should have left it, Mia. I would have done it,’ Johnny said.

‘When?’

He shrugged. ‘Now, or tomorrow morning.’

‘He was just cheering me up,’ Riley said. ‘Don’t nag him.’

Mia looked at her daughter, then stood up. ‘Someday, you might think about cheering me up. I’m a person with feelings, too. Goodnight, everyone.’ She left the room. She literally couldn’t take another second of this day. She craved the oblivion of sleep.

5

Izzy lay back in bed and put her hands over her head. Sarah gently took her daughter’s glasses off and placed them on the bedside locker. She sat down beside her on the bed. ‘Are you tired, sweetie?’

Izzy stifled a yawn. ‘No.’

Sarah kissed her soft cheek. ‘I think you are. Swimming on Wednesdays always tires you out.’

Izzy reached up and played with Sarah’s hair. ‘I wish mine was lovely blonde like yours, Mummy. It looks like a princess’s hair in fairy-tales.’

Bleach and hair tongs, Sarah thought. ‘Thank you, Izzy, but your hair is blonde and beautiful too.’

‘But it’s not shiny gold like yours, Mummy.’

‘It is shiny, just like your blue eyes. You are the prettiest girl in the world.’

Izzy sighed. ‘You always say that.’

‘Because it’s true.’

Izzy twirled Sarah’s hair around her fingers. ‘Mummy, is the baby going to take you away from me?’

Sarah frowned. ‘No. Why would you think that?’

‘Because Caroline’s mummy had twin babies and she said her mummy is always busy-busy, and she never reads Caroline stories or tucks her into bed or anything.’

Sarah chose her words carefully. Taking Izzy’s hand in hers, she said, ‘I will have to look after the baby, feeding and changing nappies and stuff, but I’ll still be able to read you stories and tuck you in.’

‘Do you promise?’

‘Yes. I’ll love you the same, look after you the same, hug you and kiss you the same.’ Sarah covered her daughter’s adorable face with kisses.

Izzy giggled, but was only temporarily distracted. She was clearly fretting over the baby more than Sarah had realized. ‘So you won’t love the baby more than me?’

‘Of course not, sweetie.’