Amy poured herself a glass of homemade lemonade and sat in the kitchen looking at the boxes in the hall. Her heart hurt and she wondered if she’d ever feel happy again. Why did Johnny have to sleep with Alice? She knew it had happened years ago, before they got married, but that wasn’t the point. He’d cheated on her and lied about it, made so much worse by the fact it was with his ex-girlfriend. Amy knew how broken-hearted he had been when his relationship with Alice had ended. Alice had taken a job in Paris and called off the relationship, saying she didn’t do long distance. Johnny was fragile when he met Amy. He’d told her how much he’d suffered when Alice had moved away, and Amy could see the damage she’d left behind.

After Johnny and Amy had met, and started their relationship, Alice briefly returned to London. Johnny’s version of events was that Alice had appeared at his flat one night, telling him how she still loved him and that she regretted the break-up. He and Amy had only been together for two months and he’d given in to temptation. But Johnny swore blind that the next morning he had asked her to leave and never come back. According to Johnny, he’d told her that he was in love with Amy and that he’d moved on; Alice had taken the news well and they said their goodbyes. He’d never seen her again after that.

Sitting at the kitchen table, aware of how quiet and lonely the house seemed, Amy wondered why he’d chosen now to confess. It was in the past, she didn’t need to know. But from the moment he’d admitted it, it was all Amy could think about. She felt betrayed and she couldn’t help but question the last three years of their life together. What else might he not be telling her? If he could do it once, Amy was fearful he could do it again, despite all his apologies and promises that there would never be a repeat of that night with Alice, or anyone else.

Now Amy was pregnant and felt more alone than she’d ever experienced. Removing her mobile phone from her denim shorts pocket, she scrolled through her list of contacts until she found Johnny’s number. Her finger hovered over his name, wanting to stroke it. She was tired of being angry and tired of feeling hurt. She loved her husband and wanted things to be the way they had been before he’d confessed about his one-night stand.