She sprayed perfume on her neck and breathed in the sweet scent. ‘For the first few years after my kids were born, I did nothing for myself,’ Em had said last night. ‘I didn’t wear make-up or perfume or jewellery, I didn’t care about my clothes. Sometimes it felt an effort just to brush my hair. But I’ve got to say, I always felt better whenever I did bother with any of those things, however small. If I put on some lipstick or a necklace, if I made it out to the hairdresser’s or rang a friend to chat . . . You’d be surprised, you know, how much of an effect these tiny, tiny things can have. Don’t underestimate them, because they make all the difference sometimes.’

Olivia put on some mascara and eyed her reflection. She was going to try Em’s advice, she had decided. Make time for one little thing for herself every day – as well as some bigger things too, like catching up with her friends and her brother. Going swimming or out for a jog on her own, just to clear her head: positive actions that she knew would make her feel good, like Olivia again. She just had to make the effort, find the time, that was all. But she would. She was determined.

Last night, with Em and Maggie, had been lovely – such a relief to step out of the confines of her own worried head for a change. Talking to near-strangers had been like having a sounding board for her feelings. She had poured out her heart and neither of them had flinched or backed away, instead offering her support and kindness, just as Lorna had previously. Women to the rescue, Em had joked, but that was how it felt. Being listened to, being heard, had made her feel brave. Brave enough to spill out her secret at the end of the night. He was called Leon, she’d said, words she’d only ever spoken to Mack.

They had hugged her and assured her she was doing the right thing in telling Lorna and Roy. They had said, You mustn’t blame yourself and You were so young, give yourself a break. She’d only been a few years older than their daughters, they’d reminded her. Would she be so hard on them, so judgemental?

She glanced down at the envelope that lay on the bed, the letter that had been so hard to write. Remembering Lorna’s anguished face when they’d met at Aidan’s grave, Olivia found herself wavering all over again. Handing over the letter was going to mean emotional upheaval for both of them. The landscape would shift and buckle, everything would change and it would not be easy. Once you threw a stone into water, you couldn’t stop the ripples.