‘All four of them? I think you did, yeah.’ She smiled. ‘That makes me very happy.’

‘You’re so talented.’ My mouth was dry, my brain hot. Aidan. I’d been scared during the show, sweating, hadn’t wanted Biddy to forget her lines, didn’t want her brother to have died.

She passed me the water from her bedside table. I downed half the glass, gave it to her, got back under the covers.

Watering, that’s what I needed. Sunlight and tenderness. Space, some solitude. I was overinvested, at war on too many fronts.

Biddy’s eyes slow-blinking, holding my right hand with both of hers, heavy …

I woke to my phone ringing – Sarah. ‘Hey, Chrissy, how are you?’

‘Hey. Less chirpy than you, I reckon. How’s it going?’

Biddy must have got up, wasn’t in the bedroom.

‘I’m heading to that park in Clifton Hill with the kids. Should we come past, pick you up?’

‘What time’s it?’

‘Half past eleven.’

‘Shit … Right. Yeah. I just need twenty minutes to have a shower and sort myself out. Hey, how did your catch-up go?’

A moment’s silence. ‘Yeah, good.’

Good, my arse. ‘Did something happen?’

Silence. One, two, three, four … ‘Yeah.’

‘Did you have sex?’

Five, six, seven, heartbeat, headache …

‘Yeah.’

‘And you enjoyed it?’

Silence. Sophie shouting, ‘Give it back, Olly,’ in another room.

‘Yeah, look, the walls have earrings, Chris. I’ll tell you about it later.’

I found some of my clothes on the floor, others wrapped up inside the bedclothes, found Biddy in the kitchen, told her what had happened. Raised eyebrows. ‘Well, that was unexpected.’

‘It was unexpected for Sarah.’

I showered, pulled on my clothes, returned to the kitchen.

‘Do we have time for a little cuddle?’ Biddy said.

‘Maybe a quick one.’ I followed her down the hallway – Cedric barking, Noel shouting – back into her room, her breastmilk bed. Hugging, kissing, drifting.

Dingding. Sarah: We’re outside x

I opened the door, winced at the outdoor world – too bright – saw Sarah in the car, the kids. ‘Hello, my lovelies.’ I opened the door, got in. ‘How are you today?’

‘We’re going to the park,’ Sophie said.

‘I’m bored,’ Oliver said, looking out of his window.

‘We haven’t eaten yet,’ Sarah said. ‘Shall we grab something for lunch from the cafe down there?’

‘Yeah, sure.’ I turned to look at the kids again – oh, my head – stole a glance at Sarah, the stupid, naive, fucking … ‘You’re looking good.’

She started driving, I drummed my thighs. It would be eight long hours till we could get the kids to bed and shout at each other in peace.

She pulled the handbrake, gripping it like a penis. ‘You coming in, kids? Do you know what you’d like to eat?’

‘Staying here,’ Oliver said.

‘Yeah,’ Sophie said. ‘Staying here. Can I have a ham sandwich?’

‘Me too,’ Oliver said.