‘He was only ever yours. I’m so sorry. I’ll miss you. Lucy x’

Without comment, I passed Jason the note. He looked at me curiously before opening it. He read it in silence and then he stood up and unceremoniously tossed it into the fire.

We watched as the flames cackled and licked around the paper, then engulfed it. Within seconds it had turned into red-hot embers and finally to white ashes. It was gone. She was gone.

Jason went back to his armchair and I joined him, settling myself onto his lap. He let me sink into him, pulling me into a big bear hug with both arms. I sighed appreciatively and gently turned my face to his. I stopped, close enough to feel his warm breath on my lips.

‘I love you,’ he said.

‘I love you too,’ I replied.

It was the first time I’d told him that in months and I meant it.

We kissed passionately.

The three of us returned to London without any hint of a tan, but with our marriage buoyed and a new sense that we had won each other back, and that we could be a functioning family again, without Jason or I losing sight of one another in the process. While on holiday we made plans to leave London and move further out, to Sussex or Surrey, where we could probably afford a house rather than a flat, with a garden big enough for Joni to run around in. For the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to feel we had a long-term future.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Lucy

The moment the DNA results had arrived, we had all taken a sharp intake of breath. Jason had immediately pulled out his phone to check the email at the same time, Aisha reading it next to him. And there it was, in black and white.

There was only one top line, so it had taken just seconds for us to discover the outcome. Then I had fled home to find Oscar…

‘How was yoga?’ he called out from the living room, where he and Albie, who was swaddled in his arms, were watching the rugby together.

‘I didn’t make it. Will explain in a minute – but right now there’s something you need to look at.’

I sank down into the sofa next to him, grabbed his hand and laced his fingers with mine, squeezing them. We opened and read the email together.

Albie coughed in Oscar’s arms, making him sit up straight, giving me a reprieve from speaking as I took in the result again.

‘You okay?’ Oscar said softly.

I turned my face to his and swallowed. ‘I’m fine,’ I managed.

‘No secrets, remember?’ he said looking right at me, reading me.

‘I guess it just feels weird,’ I bowed my head. ‘I can’t help wishing his daddy was you.’ I paused. ‘You did ask for the truth.’

Oscar put his hand on my chin and lifted my face upwards, so I had no choice but to look into his eyes as he spoke. He slid his hand slowly around my shoulders and pulled me close.