After lunch, he told her he was going to sort out his painting gear ready for his next job. He often went in his shed these days for a quiet moment to himself. He’d spent one summer insulating and painting the walls, laminating the floor. He’d even built in a skylight window and wired up electricity for a heater and kettle. Often at night, he’d sit there gazing at the sky through his telescope. He’d decked it out with a small desk and chair where he kept his binoculars and books. The walls were covered in night sky posters and moon calendars going back the last twenty years. One poster was dedicated to the total eclipse in 1999. His gran would have loved all this, especially the moon clock Maddy had bought him, which was made of recycled paper packaging. As well as showing each lunar phase, it predicted tidal heights, peak gardening times and even mood swings, which they used to joke about.

He sat down at the small desk under the window and pulled a photo of Ali out of his pocket. He’d found a couple hidden inside his old suitcase. She was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and red stilettos, smiling and posing with her hand on the bonnet of his old Ford Fiesta. Her hair hung around her shoulders like molten gold. He held the picture up as if he had the camera in his hands and she was looking right at him through the lens. That was one of their happiest times. The summer of 2008. She turned eighteen and had agreed to go out with him properly at long last. Everyone said she could have had the pick of her year at school. He was already working for her dad, Ron, by then. Roughing up the late payers. Ali was a no go, he’d made that clear. But he couldn’t help himself.

Chloe came running in, giving him a start. She was holding a painting, babbling something about a rainbow and a pony.

‘Not now, darling, I’m in the middle of clearing up,’ he said and turned away.

‘What’s that, Daddy?’ She pointed to the photo he was holding against his leg.

‘It’s nothing for you.’

‘Can I see?’

‘It’s just an old photo.’

‘Please,’ she whined.

‘Why don’t you show me your painting?’

‘I want to see.’ She grabbed it, but he was still holding one corner and it tore in half.

‘Look what you’ve done,’ he shouted, incredulous.

Chloe dropped the piece on the ground and ran off crying. He hadn’t meant to snap but he couldn’t believe she’d done that. He called her but she’d gone inside. He could hear Maddy stomping down the path. He held the two pieces together and covered them with a box of brushes.

‘Max, why is Chloe so upset?’ Maddy stood at the shed door, hands on hips.