‘I’m comin’ back tomorrow and I will see her.’

‘I’ll make a decision with her tomorrow.’

‘Don’t test me.’

‘Test you?’ Something inside her snapped. ‘How dare you come to my home and make demands of me? I don’t owe you anything. You don’t own me. I am my own person. You don’t get to talk to me like that. I’ve moved on, Danny Fox. Maybe I was nothing once but now you’re nothing. Don’t test me. Who do you think you are?’ She stepped outside and faced him down, staring him right in the eye, her fists balled, her head, ears and face on fire. ‘I’ll take a fuckin’ hatchet to you, Danny. I will! I swear it! It’s been a long time and I’m not scared of you any more.’ She was lying: she was terrified. Her pulse was racing so fast she feared she’d pop a vein.

‘Ya should be,’ he said, but she wasn’t convinced. They were toe to toe. She was pushing forward and he was the one on the back foot.

‘Don’t you ever walk up to my door again,’ she said, in a voice she didn’t even recognize.

‘I have a right to see Valerie.’

She pushed him backwards down the path and on to the roadway. ‘We’ll see about that, Danny.’

‘If you ever speak to me like—’

He was now standing on the side of the road but she’d turned her back on him and was already walking up the pathway. He’d lost his power over her and in that moment they both knew it. Her pulse slowed. Nah, you’re not gonna do anything. We’re done here.

‘Tomorrow, Maisie.’ He pointed his finger at her as he used to do, except this time the finger wasn’t stuck in her face. This time there was distance and it was more than a pathway: a deep gulf had formed between them. There was no going back.

She watched him walk away, noticing his pronounced limp for the first time. What happened? Did you get a taste of your own medicine, Danny?

When he was out of sight she sank to the step. She was shaken but she’d held her nerve. She hugged herself tight and felt freer from him now than she ever had. The pain in her eye was gone. If her son wasn’t missing it might have been the best moment of her life. Now it was too cold to stay outside and, anyway, she was on show. She’d figured half the road weren’t in front of their televisions that night: they were watching her house, the comings and goings. One of her neighbours could be speaking to the press even as she sat on her step. She stood up and brushed herself down, then went inside.