‘I’ve got to get the kids. Now. I’ve got to go and get them.’ She started towards her car, but Hailey put a hand on her shoulder, hauled her back.

‘Hey, calm down. Let’s think this through.’

Sara tried to tug her arm from her sister’s grasp. ‘We’ll get Ezra first. Come on. Let’s go.’

Hailey’s grip stayed firm. ‘Better if I drive,’ she said. ‘You’re in no fit state.’

Sara stopped struggling, realising the truth in her sister’s words. She took a deep breath – an attempt to calm herself down – while Hailey continued. ‘Let’s wait until the locksmith has finished, get the place secured, then we’ll pick Ezra up.’ She checked her watch. ‘Say you’re right and Matt is heading to Center Parcs in the Lakes. How long do you reckon it’ll take?’

‘No idea. Why don’t you google it?’

‘Whinfell Forest, is that the one?’ Hailey asked, swiping at her phone. Sara nodded, thinking about her girls, so far away from her. Have I put them at risk? She’d never forgive herself if something happened to them because of her stupidity. ‘Says here it takes two hours; let’s call it three.’ Hailey sounded reassuringly calm. ‘Google’s always a bit over-optimistic with these things.’

Sara picked up her line of thought. ‘It must be a good hour and a half since Matt left. He won’t be there yet, if that’s where he’s going.’

The locksmith appeared then, breaking up their conversation with a cheery ‘All done.’ He handed Sara an invoice for an eye-watering amount and she forced a smile onto her face. Small price to pay to get my house back, she decided. He handed her two sets of keys, and her smile broadened as she took back control of her family’s domain. ‘Thank you so much. I’ll do a bank transfer if that’s okay?’

‘No problem. That’ll do nicely.’ He hitched up his trousers. ‘I’ll be off now. Got customers waiting.’ And with that, he hurried back to his van, while Sara and Hailey went into the house.

‘I need a couple of painkillers,’ Sara said. ‘My head’s throbbing so much I can’t think straight.’

The messy familiarity pulled at her heart as she filled a glass with water and popped a couple of tablets from the packet she kept in the cupboard, the detritus of family life reminding her of what she’d lost. It would never be the same again. But do I want it to be? The thought hit her out of nowhere, and now it had appeared, she understood that although this was the death of one phase in her life, it was the birth of another; one that might have room for her needs as well as those of her family.