‘Where did you get this?’ She looks closely at the woman, but the quality is grainy. She seems familiar but she can’t place her.

‘On there.’ He points to the coffee table. The glass is gleaming. Not a single smudge or fingerprint.

‘Do you know anything about this?’

He runs upstairs shouting, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’

What is going on with him? She catches her reflection. The further time goes on, the more she is convinced that Adam isn’t coming back to live with them. But is he trying to torment her to make her leave? Where would she go? She’ll have to ring his work again, but last time she did they hadn’t seen him for ages. She’ll look so stupid asking where he is, like she’s lost him. She’s thought about going to the police, but it’s his house too and none of what he’s doing is a crime they’d recognise. A couple of people on Facebook thought they’d seen him in The Black Bull in Brampton, but nothing came of it when she checked with the landlord.

Upstairs, their bed has been made, smoothed out so there are no creases. All her make-up has been lined up according to size and everything on her dressing table has been placed symmetrically. In the wardrobe, the clothes that are left have been sorted into groups according to colour. But there are big gaps where her clothes have been removed, disposed of, as though bit by bit Adam is trying to erase her from his life. She slumps down on the bed. Why is he doing this to her when they’re about to have their second child? His absence feels like history repeating itself. She knows she’s not perfect and her messiness drives him mad, but does she really deserve him cleaning up after her and ignoring her? The baby gives a sharp kick. What is she going to do? She’s not sure she can face being a single mum again, this time bringing up his two children on her own.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Max: Early December 2017

The remains of the winter sun splashed in vivid lines across the sky. Emily and Chloe were up ahead on their bikes, side by side. He followed on his, bought by Maddy last Christmas. He’d meant to go out on it more during the year, but he never seemed to find the time.

‘Round this last corner then we’ll make our way back,’ he said, catching up with the girls. The park was almost deserted.

‘Do we have to go?’ Emily asked.

‘It’s getting dark. I’ll have to take you camping, won’t I?’

‘Can we? In a big tent?’ Emily asked and Chloe repeated it.

‘Yeah, why not. When it’s warmer though, hey?’