“Don’t feel guilty. You forced me out of my comfort zone. I’m here because of you.”

“And that’s...good?”

Joanna watched as a toddler lifted her arms to her mother and was scooped into a hug. “It’s good.”

It made her feel better to know she’d helped Joanna, too.

“I hope you still think that when a bunch of reporters show up. They’re going to carry on writing about you. Bad things, probably. Same about me.”

“We’ll handle it.”

But they shouldn’t have to “handle it,” should they? She still burned with outrage at the injustice of it. She’d read the article in disbelief, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. “How can you be so calm? It makes me angry. It’s none of their business if my mother slept with Cliff, or a whole basketball team for that matter, or the emperor of Sweden—”

Joanna blinked. “I don’t think Sweden has an emperor...”

“Whatever—” Ashley shrugged “—they have no right to delve into my life. They can fuck right off.” She slapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes went huge. “I didn’t mean to say that. Do you think the baby heard?”

Joanna gave a choked laugh. “If it did, I’m sure it’s impressed and reassured to know that its mother isn’t going to be pushed around by anyone.”

Ashley felt embarrassed at having lost control in front of Joanna, who never lost control. “I’m never going to swear in front of the baby. I want to set a good example. Be a good role model.” She’d hardly been that so far, had she? She needed to grow up and take responsibility, which was one of the reasons she’d left even though the idea of it had scared her senseless.

“I think standing up for yourself, and having self-respect, is a good example. And it’s an example I’m going to follow. Maybe next time a reporter approaches me I should tell them to—” she breathed “—to...”

“You’re never going to say it. You’re too polite.” Ashley grinned at the thought of it. “But the main thing is that we’re not going to let a bunch of people we don’t even know force us to hide.”

“No.” Joanna’s voice was stronger. “We’re not.”

“And yes, they wrote horrid things, but if we stay indoors, then they win.”

“Yes.”

Ashley looked at her. “And we don’t want them to win.”

“We definitely don’t.”