He had a strange look in his eyes, a sadness about him, a heaviness in his stance. Oh my God. He’s going to tell me he’s leaving. She clung to the worktop, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still, the two of them looking at each other in the sort of silence that never has a happy ending.

The girls must have smelt the food because they came thundering down the stairs before she had a chance to call them, chatting and giggling, phones in their hands as if they’d grown there and were part of their anatomy. The noise shattered Sara’s fearful thoughts, bringing her back to the moment and the smell of burning. She dashed to the oven, relieved to see it was just the edge of the top pizza that had caught. The other one looked fine, and she quickly cut it into slices, jiggled the pieces onto plates and put them on the table, where she’d already placed the bowl of salad.

‘Thanks, Mrs Whitlock,’ Chelsea said with a broad smile. ‘Smells lovely.’

Despite her concerns about Matt, Sara smiled back. Chelsea had such beautiful manners and she wondered where she’d gone wrong with her two girls, who were helping themselves to salad without even acknowledging her existence.

‘You’re welcome,’ she said as she went to get Ezra from the lounge. She tried to make sure the whole family had their evening meal together, so there was one point in the day when they could chat and have a catch-up, but it was tricky keeping Ezra awake long enough for him to join in.

When she got back to the kitchen, Ezra clutching her hand, Pikachu dragging along the floor in his wake, she was surprised to find that Matt had gone.

She frowned. ‘Where’s your dad?’ she asked Amelia.

‘He went outside. With a couple of beers.’ Amelia pulled a face. ‘What’s up with him? Looks like he’s in a stinker of a mood.’

Sara shrugged and gave a fleeting smile, not wanting Chelsea to get the impression there was a problem. ‘I’ve no idea, love. Will you sort out Ezra while I go and see if he’s eating with us?’