‘Georgia from next door knocked to say hello when she spotted your parents’ car parked on the drive. Hannah had just checked the lottery results on her phone and was buzzing with the news. She texted Steve to join us after Georgia said she’d stay for a drink. It turned into a little celebration and I kept hoping you’d walk through the door.’ He carries a mug of tea across, placing it in front of me on the table. ‘Sorry about this morning,’ he adds, casually, as if wasn’t a big deal. But his apology is tinged with guilt and he’s avoiding eye contact.

Does he think I stayed away on purpose? In the seven years that we’ve been married, we’ve never rowed at breakfast before. In fact, we rarely argue, but recently… I’m beginning to feel I don’t know him any more.

‘You must be feeling really awful if even the thought of a million pounds hitting the bank account doesn’t raise a smile. Have you had it all day?’ He wrinkles his brow and his reaction tugs at my heartstrings. I love every little inch of that expressive face; including the silvery white scar on his forehead, a reminder of the boisterous young toddler who drove everyone mad with his antics – or so I’m told. And those hazel eyes and the closely cropped, dark brown hair he daren’t grow out as it has a life of its own, is imprinted on my mind. For the briefest of moments, what I see isn’t a twenty-nine-year-old man standing in front of me, but how he was when we first met. A seventeen-year-old who thought he was a man already. In those days, he only had two hairs on his chest and now it’s in serious need of waxing, in my opinion. The thoughts running through my head make me smile.

‘More or less,’ I admit.

‘You should have phoned. I don’t like you driving when you’re like this.’

‘Like this?’ I frown as I look up at him, the effort involved in processing his words is hard work.

Seeing the concern etched on his face triggers a memory from this morning. As he stomped around in a bad mood, I felt he was simply waiting for me to leave. My presence seemed to annoy him, for some reason I couldn’t comprehend. All I did was ask him what was wrong.

‘In a full-blown attack, babe. You don’t always realise your judgement is impaired. Remember the time you got the car wedged up against the pillar as you pulled into the garage?’

It was one incident. Probably five years ago. And yes, that day, I shouldn’t have attempted to drive myself home. I’d forgotten my tablets and I didn’t want to cause a fuss.