I can’t stand the man up, son. Even if Maisie hadn’t been caught on the hop, she would probably have said yes: Fred had been so kind for so many years, going above and beyond for her and her kids. He’d been a friend to her when she needed one most. How could she say no to a man who wouldn’t dream of saying no to her? Still, in that moment it occurred to her that the inability to say no was what had got her pregnant and married the first time around. Look how that had ended.

‘Ma, answer me.’

‘It’s dinner, Jeremy, that’s all.’

‘And a drink,’ Valerie repeated.

‘And why not?’ she heard herself ask. Have you lost your mind, woman?

‘Why not?’ Jeremy echoed, as though he couldn’t believe he’d heard her correctly. ‘Why not?’ He shook his head. ‘You know why not.’ His voice had an edge to it.

‘He’s not your da, Jeremy. He’s a nice man.’

‘You don’t know that,’ he said sharply, but there was more fear than anger in the words.

‘I do.’

‘No, you don’t, not for sure! You thought me da was lovely and look what happened.’

Maisie didn’t argue. It would have broken Jeremy’s heart to know the real story behind her marriage to his father.

Danny Fox had asked her out one evening and because she was polite she had agreed – even though she didn’t have much time for him. In fact, despite his good looks, he wasn’t even on her radar: he was vain and boastful, even though he had little to boast about. Saying yes had been easier than saying no, and what harm would it do? At the end of the evening, he’d kissed her and it was an OK kiss, a little too frantic but not the worst she’d ever had. But when she tried to walk away he had grabbed her. She’d still had half a bag of chips in her hand when Danny Fox had forced her up against the wall. It had taken her a minute or two to realize they were having sex. She’d tried to push him away but he’d responded by pressing her head against the wall, then banged it hard, once, twice, three times, as he came. Her stomach twisted.

‘That was superb – I knew it would be.’ He grinned, grabbing a chip.

Maisie was stunned. Her head hurt and her knickers felt wet. She touched the back of her head, and when he saw blood on her fingers, he asked her what had happened.