‘I’m sorry … What are you … I don’t quite … Are you saying Saxon hurt someone?’

Another irritated sigh from Mrs Diapolos. ‘I’d really rather discuss this in person, Ms Murphy—with you, your ex-husband and Saxon, who is waiting in my office. Considering your circumstances, would you like me to call Mr Wood, or …?’

‘No. I’ll do it. We’ll be there as soon as we can.’

‘Thank you. That would be appreciated,’ she said, in a tone that made me feel as if I’d committed the misdemeanour.

The moment she disconnected, I called the clinic and demanded Kristen put me through to Adrian immediately.

He picked up less than thirty seconds later. ‘Ashling, I’ve told you—’

‘This is an emergency, Adrian. I need you to meet me at Saxon’s school asap. Apparently, he punched someone and we’ve both been summoned by the principal.’

‘He what?’ His voice echoed my own shock. ‘That doesn’t sound like Sax. He must have been provoked. Have they asked him why he did it? Do we need to get a lawyer?’

‘Adrian,’ I yelled. ‘I don’t know any more than what I’ve told you. The principal wants to talk to both of us, but I think we hold off on the lawyer; this isn’t America. Do whatever you need to do so you can meet me at the school asap.’

I disconnected before he had the chance to object. Saxon was more important than any discomfort either of us might feel.

I left Hayley at the shops. My gut churned as I drove through the city to the school. I couldn’t believe that Sax had hit someone. On one level it didn’t make any sense, but I had to concede he hadn’t been himself for months. I’d just assumed he was entering that normal stage of teenage rebellion—possibly aided and abetted by the disruption at home—but had that been naive?

Was there something deeper going on? And if I’d missed it, what did that say about me as a mother?

Chapter 52

52

Exactly an hour later, Adrian and I found ourselves in the school principal’s office—Saxon sitting between us, his arms crossed, a sullen expression on his face and what looked to be drops of blood staining his white shirt. That and the fact he refused to even meet our gaze didn’t help my desperation to believe that this was some kind of mistake.

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to wrap my arms around him or scream and shout.

Thanks to Payton’s short fuse, we’d been in this situation a number of times with her, but in all his years of schooling, never once had Saxon received a reprimand that required our attendance at school. Talk about not doing things by halves!