Sara pursed her lips. Her sister was right; it had been quite a tussle of wills. Done in the most civilised of ways, of course. Not all-out war, but sniper fire over the cornflakes. No obvious upset of any kind, apart from the clenching of her teeth as his barbed comments found their mark, wounding her. Eventually she’d compromised and set her sights much lower than she would have liked. Instead of looking for a job that would use her business studies degree, she’d decided to seriously consider the offer of part-time work at the community centre.

She remembered the night well, having shipped the kids off to Hailey and made a special dinner for her and Matt so they could have a proper chat without the children listening in.

She’d said her piece, the one she’d rehearsed a dozen times that day, and he’d sat very still, gazing at her across the table as she laid it all out, making the point that she’d put her career on hold, spent fourteen years at home, and now felt a bit claustrophobic. Also, she’d argued, it would be good for Ezra to start at nursery part-time because he needed to get used to being away from her before he started school in September.

Matt had reached for her hand across the table. ‘I suppose it makes sense, and I want you to be happy, love. So if you need to work…’ He smiled. ‘A local part-time job seems the best idea. As long as it doesn’t get in the way of looking after the kids, and it doesn’t make you too stressed, well, I’m fine with it.’

Hailey’s voice broke into her thoughts. ‘For what it’s worth, I really haven’t got Matt down as a cheater. I mean, the way he was brought up, it’s just not something he’d even think about, is it?’

Sara chewed her lip as she considered her sister’s words. Although Matt had a strong bond with his parents, she didn’t know them very well. Their home was in Cyprus now, a place where they’d lived for a time during his father’s armed service. Both of them suffered from arthritis, and the climate was a blessing for their health, but it meant she and Matt didn’t see much of them, and most of their interactions were by Skype rather than face to face.