Oh Christ, what a night to be late. Lexie would be beside herself. Why couldn’t the parents control those twins? Wasn’t the dad in the army? Surely, he could dish out some effective discipline. Maybe that was the problem. Too much hitting from the father. Bella lay on the rug with her jumper held up for him to check her tummy. A red mark but no bruising and it didn’t seem tender when he pushed it. He blew a loud raspberry on her belly and she giggled.

‘Now, where’s Mummy? Is she in the kitchen?’

‘Talking to Auntie Pheebs. She hurt her knee and has to have an op-er-ashun,’ Bella sounded out the word, then jumped up and grabbed his hand. ‘Come see my picture.’

Bella’s drawings were strewn across the table in the family room. Lexie was standing by the sliding doors, talking on the phone and staring out at the night sky. Marty admired his daughter’s pictures while listening to snippets of Lexie’s conversation.

‘I know it’s only one small step but I did it.’

‘No, it’s different for him.’

‘He’s still having the nightmares.’

Bella interrupted Marty’s eavesdropping by yelling: ‘Dadda, THIS one! It’s my BEST! Our house with a cow and a dog and a cat and a horse and a mouse. The dog is called Woof. I put my purple fairy in the garden. Can you see her?’

Seconds later, Lexie had hung up the phone and was kissing him hello.

‘That was Phoebe on the phone,’ she told him. ‘She sends her love.’

Unlikely.

Marty felt the spot on his cheek tingling where Lexie had kissed him. He never knew what mood she would be in when he arrived home late. Marty wanted to tell her not to speak to Phoebe about his nightmares but decided he wouldn’t ruin the good moment. Lexie was humming as she took the steak out of the fridge and poured a glass of wine for them both.

‘You seem happy,’ he said.

His wife jerked her wineglass, spilling a few drops on the counter.

Perhaps ‘happy’ had been the wrong word to use. But goddamn it, she was allowed to be happy. Surely it was time for both of them to find some kind of happiness again. Marty glanced at the bottle of red. Was it the same one as last night or had she finished that and opened another? Maybe he should start marking the bottles. The trick was to turn the bottle upside down and dot the level with a permanent texta.

Lexie took a slug from her glass. Then another slug. Finally she spoke.

‘I had a good day. A really good day.’

Marty nodded for her to go on.

‘Playgroup was good.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And I’ve been invited to dinner with the mums on Tuesday night.’