Mo’s persona suddenly changed. She stopped crying and glared at Sarah with a look of pure hatred. ‘I made a mistake, Sarah. I’ve put my hands up to it, guilty as charged, but it was one mistake, that’s all, and boy, I’m paying the price for it. I’m going to lose everything because I’ve got this … this … this thing growing in my stomach. Look at you though. You’ve got it made now with this cushy job and the Neerlys have taken you in as one of their own, yet you stand there looking down on me, and you think you’re so much better. Just remember, I know where you came from. Your mother was a tart and you once slept rough, scavenging on the Thames for stuff to sell. You had help when you needed it most, so I thought you of all people would understand.’

‘Don’t put this at my door, Mo. When Tommy died, and I needed you the most, you was too busy sleeping with my boyfriend to give me a second thought. You had it all, but it was never enough for you. You wanted more, and well, now you’ve got it, only a baby wasn’t what you had in mind, was it? An unmarried mother, goodness, what will people say? Go and look for sympathy elsewhere ’cos you won’t be getting any from me.’ Sarah strode from behind the counter, past Mo, and swung the door open. ‘Get out,’ she said calmly.

Mo walked past Sarah and spat in her face. ‘All right, I’m going, but I’ll leave you something to think about. If you’d been more of a girlfriend to Roger and not a cold fish, he wouldn’t have been in my bed,’ Mo snapped, then left.

Sarah rushed to lock the door and leaned against it, then took a hanky from her pocket and wiped the spit from her face. She was relieved that Mo had gone. She just hoped she would never came back. Mo seemed to think she had it made, but the truth was that she still grieved for Tommy. He was still her first thought when she woke up every day, and her last before she fell asleep at night. She put on a front, a mask to hide her pain, but sometimes it slipped, especially when George took Julie out. She wanted him to be happy and hated her selfishness, but if they became serious, she worried about her future. If they eventually married, not only would she lose her home, she would lose her best friend too.

‘Hello, anyone home?’ George called an hour later as he walked through the door.

‘In here,’ Sarah shouted back from the kitchen.

‘Hello, love, where’s Mum?’ George asked.