“I’m doing my best. Plans change, Milly. Life happens.” He was snippy and irritable. “You have no idea how tough it is for me trying to juggle everything and keep everyone happy. It’s a nightmare, frankly.”

What exactly was he juggling? She was the one trying to keep all the balls in the air while he led the life he wanted to lead and occasionally saw his daughter when he could fit her in.

“By ‘everyone,’ I assume you mean Avery.” Was it wrong to feel a twinge of satisfaction that everything might not be as smooth as she’d assumed? Did that make her a bad person?

“It’s tough for Avery too. She has to share me with you and Zoe.”

The hand that wasn’t holding the phone curled into a fist.

“What did she expect? That’s what happens when you get involved with a married man who has a child.”

“I’ve never known you to talk like this before. What has happened to you?”

Milly stared into the distance. What had happened to her? The man she’d loved and trusted had left her, that was what had happened. And for months she’d grieved and blamed herself and wondered what she could have done differently. She’d busted a gut trying to make a bad situation as good as possible for her daughter. She’d moved out of the home she loved because that was what Richard had demanded. She’d turned up to work every day even when all she wanted to do was to curl up under the covers.

“Your comment about Avery was a little insensitive, that’s all.” She fixed her gaze on the photo of Zoe and kept her tone soft. “We’re all doing our best in difficult circumstances.”

“I’m just trying to be happy. To live a happy life. It’s not a crime, Milly. Not that I expect you to understand that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

The window of her office overlooked one of the forest paths, and she watched as a family of three made their way along the trail, loaded up for the day with backpacks and a huge picnic bag. The man carried the little girl on his shoulders, and Milly felt an ache of envy and sadness. Seeing a happy family enjoying their time together made her realize what a mess her own was.

“I don’t want to forget it.” So much for trying not to escalate things. “What is it that I don’t understand, Richard?”

“You don’t understand about enjoying life. Your whole focus is on duty and responsibility. All you think about is boring chores. Doctor’s appointments, and parent–teacher meetings and acting as a taxi service for Zoe. You’ve turned your life into a never-ending to-do list.”