‘I ordered one meat and one veggie. Might as well try and be a little bit healthy. If there’s any left the kids can have it when they get back tomorrow night.’ She opens the boxes. ‘A moment on the lips and all that, but oh, so worth it.’ The smell of pizza fills the room. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘He said that if I wasn’t going to change my mind then he wouldn’t ask me to leave the house immediately, and he would stay in a hotel until I had found somewhere else. That was really big of him, don’t you think? And he said sorry a lot.’ Tess stops for a moment as though trying to make sense of it all. ‘In between all the bad things, there was an apology. I asked him why he hadn’t said anything before and he said he didn’t want to hurt me. I told him it was a bit fucking late for that now.’

Baxter sits at their feet, ever hopeful.

Fiona picks up a small piece of chicken. ‘Can Baxter have this?’

Tess nods. ‘Baxter eats everything and anything apart from chocolate and dried fruit, both of which could kill him. And onions. And grapes.’ She looks at the two pizzas. ‘You got extra-large ones.’ She takes a slice and watches as a piece of green pepper slides off onto the tablecloth. ‘I’m making a mess. Story of my life.’

‘Doesn’t matter. It’s what washing machines are for.’ Fiona takes a sip of wine. ‘Then what?’

‘I hung up on him and blocked his number, and then the house phone started to ring so I unplugged it. And I needed time to think so I emailed all my clients and told them I was dealing with a family problem and apologised. You’ll have had that email too. My brain is mush just thinking about it all.’

‘And have you come to any conclusions?’

‘I have.’ Tess finishes the slice of pizza. ‘I don’t have the headspace for it all right now. You’re the exception. You’ve made me so welcome, and I feel as though we are friends. I’m sorry if that sounds weird.’

‘Not weird at all.’

‘I’m glad.’ Tess rearranges the pieces of mushroom on the top of a second triangle of pizza so there will be one in every mouthful. ‘You don’t try to add extra jobs on every week and expect them for free, unlike some people. Some folk really take advantage, you know?’

Fiona nods. ‘I have clients like that too.’

‘I’ve closed the business down for now. Perhaps for good. And because I didn’t want to leave anyone in the lurch, I’ve found other people to do the ordering and the organising and all the other stuff and I’ve put them all in touch with each other.’

‘Are you still living in the house?’