As much as she loved her sister, they weren’t in and out of each other’s houses, and in Sara’s eyes this was a bit of a godsend. Hailey was a complete neat freak, thanks to the training she’d received from one of her foster parents. She’d become worse now that her daughter, Cassie, had gone off to uni and she was on her own. She liked everything lined up just so, every surface clean, floors spotless, windows gleaming, making Sara feel completely hopeless in the home-making department.

Hailey lived in Skipton, ten miles or so from Sara’s home town of Ilkley, and her work took her all over the local area. The fact that she happened to be nearby at the very time Sara called was a coincidence; the last thing she’d expected was for her sister to turn up for coffee and a chat. ‘I’m fine. Everything’s fine,’ she muttered under her breath as she finished her flurry of tidying. Hailey had her own struggles and didn’t need Sara whining about problems that would seem pathetic in comparison. Not to mention all those youngsters she worked with and their mountains of troubles. No, she didn’t need anything more to worry about.

Sara dashed upstairs and changed out of her joggers and the T-shirt that had Ezra’s milk splattered down the front. Thank goodness he was at nursery in the mornings now and the intense parenting of those first few years was behind her. She found a pair of jeans and a clean top that didn’t cling to the stubborn roll round her stomach, which had arrived during pregnancy and refused to go away. She ran a brush through her shoulder-length black hair, smeared a bit of foundation on her blotchy face, patted a bit of powder over the top and immediately felt better.

She studied herself in the mirror. Turned this way and that. Yes, she was a bit heavier than when she’d met Matt, but she’d only been twenty then, and after three children, it wasn’t surprising that her stomach muscles weren’t what they used to be – especially after bearing twins. Her hair still shone, her complexion was good, and although her eyes were a bit pink round the edges from her earlier tears, she knew that would quickly fade. ‘Not bad for thirty-eight,’ she reassured her reflection with a satisfied nod.

The ringing of the doorbell sent her running downstairs to find Hailey on the doorstep, looking anxious, frown lines creasing her forehead.

‘Come in.’ Sara stepped to one side to let her sister pass. ‘You didn’t have to dash over. I know you’re working, and I was just having a moment, you know…’