That afternoon and Friday I worked my butt off prepping the walls for paint, removing picture hooks, light switch covers and the odd patch of mould from the walls using a bleach solution that aggravated my nose a little, but I refused to let anything deter me. Next I sanded back places where the old layers of paint had peeled and patched all the dents and holes with filler.

I think Charlie thought I’d gone mad, but I was glad of his company and at least I wasn’t worrying about his welfare in the way I worried about the kids. Payton chatted as much as usual on our daily phone calls and sounded like she was coping well, but phone calls weren’t any way to gauge Saxon’s wellbeing. With every question I asked, I got a one-word answer. I couldn’t work out if he was still angry with me or if it was just a teenage thing.

I’d only spoken to Adrian once. Not that the conversation was anything to get excited about. A text message on Wednesday morning from the dentist reminding me of Payton’s Friday appointment—which I’ll admit had slipped my mind—had given me the perfect excuse to hear my husband’s voice. But after leaving multiple messages with his receptionist and many more on his voicemail, I’d almost lost my patience by the time he finally returned my call late Wednesday afternoon.

‘What is it, Ashling?’

‘And it’s delightful to talk to you as well, Adrian. Yes, I’m doing okay, thanks for asking.’

A deep sigh travelled down the phone line. ‘I don’t have time for games. I’ve still got three more appointments and then I have to go home, organise dinner and take Payton to soccer training.’

I rolled my eyes. He made it sound like he had to run an outback marathon while simultaneously achieving world peace.

‘Tough being the primary parent, isn’t it?’ I replied, not sympathetic in the slightest. This was his choice.

‘It’s not that bad,’ he said, backtracking. ‘Now, what is it?’

‘I’m just letting you know that Payton has a dentist appointment Friday morning at eleven that you need to take her to.’

‘Not possible. I’ve got back-to-back appointments. Why didn’t you schedule this for when you’d be here?’

I half laughed, unable to believe his audacity. ‘Because medical appointments as you’d well know are scheduled well in advance and when I booked this one my husband hadn’t yet informed me of his plans to destroy our family, so I didn’t know I wouldn’t be available.’

‘Ashling, be reasonable, can’t you reschedule whatever you’ve got planned? You know it’s not good business to cancel or reschedule a patient at this short notice.’

Reasonable? Like he’d been reasonable when he told me he wanted to sleep with other people?