‘What about dinner?’

‘I’ll sort it,’ she promised. ‘Now go.’

‘Thank you,’ I whispered as I threw the bags in the back of my car.

Hours later I woke in my dark bedroom at the sound of the door opening.

‘You awake?’ came Hayley’s voice as she closed the door behind her.

‘Uh-huh. Just.’ I switched on the bedside light and winced at the brightness. ‘How are the kids?’

‘They’re fine,’ Hayley said as she proffered a plate of Vegemite toast and a cup of tea. ‘Thought you might be hungry.’

‘A little. What did you guys have for dinner?’

She smiled. ‘Wei brought over some pizza.’

‘Sax and Payton are probably wishing I had a migraine every night.’

‘No, they were both worried about you.’ Hayley sat and swung her legs up beside me. ‘I’ve just read Payton a story and put her to bed, and Saxon retreated to his room an hour ago. I’ve packed their school lunches for tomorrow and thrown a load of washing in the machine. I’ll get it out and put it in the dryer before I leave. Is there anything else you need?’

‘Wow. Look at you being all domestic. Next you’ll be telling me you’re moving in with Wei and starting a family.’

She gave me a look of horror. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m quite happy as an aunty, thank you very much.’

‘But you and Wei seem to be …’

She held a finger to her lips. ‘Shh … don’t say it. I’m freaking myself out enough as it is. Now, I’m going home, but call me if you need anything.’

‘Thanks, I will.’

As Hayley kissed me goodbye, I couldn’t help shaking my head at the irony. In all the years we’d been grown-up friends, I’d fantasised about her having a serious enough relationship that we could go out to dinner as couples and, now that it looked like she might actually have that, I was all alone.

Chapter 36

36

Sunday morning, my heart lurched as Adrian approached me on the sidelines at soccer. We hadn’t spoken at all since Wednesday afternoon when I’d stormed out of marriage counselling.

‘Morning, Ash,’ he said, nodding towards the coffee cup in her hand. ‘Didn’t think to get me one?’

‘Nope. Sorry.’ I wasn’t sorry at all and didn’t sound it either. I was proud of my sass. He’d given up any right to expect anything from me when he’d made the decision to break our vows.

‘Never mind. By the way, I paid for the counselling after you left and booked another session, same time, same day when you’re next in Perth.’

He’d done what? Was he for real?

I laughed so loudly that one of the other mums gave me a weird look and stepped even further away from us.

‘What’s so funny?’