She didn’t speak until they were close to home. ‘Can’t we just keep driving?’

He looked at her with pity in his eyes. Pity. ‘No, love, we have to go inside.’

They pulled up at the curb because her dad and Maggie had parked in the driveway. Just another reason to be angry. She felt like she was going to explode if one more thing happened to her. She got out of the car and was about to head into the house when someone stepped out in front of her. She gasped.

‘What are you doing here, Mark?’ demanded Billy.

‘I’m not here to cause trouble. My son died too,’ he said quietly. ‘I want to mourn with my family.’

‘Oh, now he’s your son and they’re your family? Well, they’re not your family anymore, Mark,’ said Billy furiously. ’Go home and sleep it off.’

Mark looked at Vanessa. ‘I haven’t touched a drop since I found out about Wren. I’m done with that stuff.’ He stepped forward to touch her, but Billy put out a hand, preventing him.

‘I just want to give the mother of my children a hug on the day that we bury our eldest son. You wouldn’t stop a father from doing that, would you?’ Vanessa hadn’t even bothered looking for Mark at the funeral.

‘It’s OK, Billy,’ she said quietly. She opened up her arms and her ex-husband walked into her embrace, touching her for the first time in years. She folded her arms around him.

‘I’m so sorry,’ he wept, ‘for everything. I was a terrible person, an awful father and an even worse husband. I made your life hell. Can you forgive me?’

She thought about all the things that he had put her and the boys through. ‘No, I can’t forgive you, but I will let you grieve with us.’

Billy looked at her with confusion and disbelief, but Vanessa felt it was the right thing to do. No one should be alone today. The three of them walked up the path to the house and watched the looks of surprise on people’s faces when they saw Mark with Vanessa. Those of them who knew about Mark and his violent nature toward her and the boys, her dad and Maggie especially, wore identical looks: something akin to horror.