‘They aren’t sad tears.’ Sue revealed a huge smile. ‘They are happy tears, very happy tears. I’m crying because I never really knew that I had such wonderful friends.’

‘Oh.’ Meadow rolled her eyes. ‘That is really very silly of you, Mummy.’

‘I know,’ Sue said and she couldn’t stop laughing.

Later that night, back at home, Sue tucked her exhausted children into bed – one of them with her arms wrapped around a stuffed owl under a glass dome – and went back to the kitchen to talk to her husband.

Rory was sitting at the table; he’d made her a mug of tea.

‘Sounds like Tamsyn’s idea might really come through!’ he said, brightly.

‘Yes.’ Sue sat down opposite him, and studied his face. It was strange, she’d lived with him for so long, but she didn’t really ever look at him any more, and even now, he somehow didn’t seem familiar.

‘I had no idea that things were so bad, Sue,’ he said. ‘Why didn’t you talk to me?’

‘I don’t suppose I ever talk to you any more,’ Sue said. ‘And I don’t suppose that you ever talk to me, do you? We have conversations, we bicker and argue, but we never really talk.’

‘Well, that’s going to change,’ Rory said. ‘I promise.’

‘Yes,’ Sue said it is. ‘We have to do better, Rory. We have to make more of an effort to support and understand each other, so we can be the parents that the children need.’

‘Exactly.’ Rory nodded.

‘But we don’t have to be married to do it,’ Sue said.

There was a moment of silence as Rory took in exactly what she was saying, and Duchess, sensing something was amiss, nosed her muzzle under Sue’s hand.

‘Rory, we make each other so unhappy. We love our family, but we don’t love each other. And I’m not prepared to go on feeling so unhappy every single day to the extent where it becomes just … normal. Both of us deserve better, but especially me.’

‘But what about the children? Sue, what are you saying?’

‘That we tell the children we are going to live apart. That you find a job that pays, and rent a cottage in the town. That we remain good, close friends. We see each other and the children see us both every day, but that we don’t continue to torture each other any more. I thought being married was more important than anything else, but now I see that I was wrong. Our family is more important, and the best way to make it a happy one is for us not to be together. Rory, let’s not hurt each other any more, please.’

Rory dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. ‘This is all my fault,’ he said.