‘Dad, no!’ she said. ‘How many times? I can’t do that in Sydney, I need to escape, I need somewhere completely different. Mum understands, don’t you, Mum?’

Ali nodded. ‘Totally,’ she said.

‘What a surprise,’ Michael said.

Ali and Stella stared at him and Ali opened her mouth to speak, but then the doorbell rang, and it was Moira and Greg, here in the McCormack home for the first time, bearing flowers and wine and wide smiles, so the subject was closed.