‘What?’ I put my hands up to ward him off although he had not touched me yet. ‘What, Danny? Sorry that you slept with a married woman? Sorry that you threatened my kids? Sorry that you just disappeared?’

‘I would never have hurt them, you must know that.’

‘How do I know that? I don’t know you at all, that much is clear.’

‘I can’t explain, not now.’

‘Why not?’

‘I shouldn’t even be here.’

‘Why shouldn’t you?’

‘Because. I can’t explain. Not now.’

‘Right. Well, don’t then.’ I slipped out of his shadow and moved to step into the house. But before I could, he pulled me back.

‘Don’t,’ I croaked, but found I couldn’t stop him. I just wanted to not think, to lose myself for a while.

‘Rose,’ he whispered, ‘I’m so sorry,’ and then he picked me up and I let him; he carried me into the house and I was crying tears of sorrow, anger and frustration, and I wanted to pummel him with my clenched fists but instead I wrapped my legs around him and kissed him back until my mouth hurt. I felt his warm skin beneath my splayed fingers and he held me so tight I felt he could crush me and at that moment it would have been all right, because I sought oblivion.

Afterwards we lay on the floor beside each other and listened to the sounds of the night outside. I looked over at him. He had a scar on his face that somehow I had never noticed before, a small white nick below his left cheekbone. He looked back and then he stroked my face, my sore cheek where James had hit me, only now the bruises had faded.

‘God, Rose,’ he muttered.

‘What?’

‘Just …’ He ran his hand through his hair distractedly. ‘You.’

My heart caught on itself, but somewhere deep down I didn’t believe him any more.

He felt for his tobacco. ‘Want one?’

‘I don’t smoke. Don’t you remember?’ I rolled away from his warm arms. I lay on the bare floorboards and I felt like an island floating alone, and then I thought, I must get up and put some clothes on before one of the children wake up. Only I couldn’t move, not yet.

‘I do remember, aye. I was just being polite.’

‘Well, don’t be polite. You’ve never bothered before.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said equably. ‘Sweet then?’

‘I don’t want a sweet.’ I was being petulant, I knew. ‘Why do you always eat them?’

‘Trying to give up smoking. I got hooked on both instead.’ He ran a hand over the floor. ‘Home improvements?’

‘I tore the carpet up.’