She couldn’t reply immediately because a wave of emotion was brimming inside her. All the angry things she’d wanted to say over the years had risen to the surface. Then they boiled over. ‘You hurt me,’ she blurted out because no, she couldn’t just shrug this off and pretend it didn’t matter. ‘The things you said to me as you left . . . they’ve been torturing me for years.’

He had the grace to look ashamed and stared down at his feet again. ‘I guess it was easier to direct the blame at you rather than myself,’ he replied after a moment. ‘Whatever I said – please, just put it out of your head. I was looking for a way out, that’s all. You’re a good person. You’ve always been a good person.’

Gosh, he looked so humble, so meek right now, just like in all those fantasy conversations she’d imagined where he prostrated himself at her feet and begged her forgiveness. Of course it was pretty much at this point in her fantasy that she always kicked him with the toe of her boot, shouted ‘Never!’ and walked away, nose in the air. Except she didn’t feel like doing that so much any more.

‘Thanks,’ she said instead. ‘Well . . . Let’s just see how it goes. I’m glad you’re back in Amelia’s life at least. And she is too. Thanks for having her.’

He smiled. ‘It’s been a pleasure. Bye, Maggie.’

‘Bye, Will.’

She was whistling as she walked to the car and got inside. Then, clicking in her seatbelt, she asked, ‘All okay?’

‘Yep,’ said Amelia, leaning back expansively and kicking off her sandals in the footwell. ‘What was that all about?’

‘Oh, he was just saying how great you were,’ she replied, starting the engine.

There was a moment’s silence as they both waved to Will, still there in the doorway, then Maggie pushed her foot down, feeling the sweet feeling of freedom as they accelerated away.

‘Ahhh,’ sighed Amelia, in exaggerated relief. ‘No more having to pretend to be nice. Thanks, Mum.’

Maggie laughed. ‘You are nice,’ she said.

‘Not when it comes to annoying little children, I’m not,’ Amelia said, shifting around to get comfortable.

‘What do you mean – didn’t you like them?’ Come on, let’s hear it, she thought. All the bitching. There was only so much magnanimity and graciousness a person could dredge up in a single day, after all.

‘I like them, but they’re just in your face all the time. Totally full-on. Last night they were begging Celeste for a sleepover with me. Rain actually started having a tantrum – like, proper banging fists on the floor and everything. I was like: sorry, no way. That will not be happening for at least ten years. Twenty, if you keep this up. Jesus!’