I’d inherited these sick headaches from Dad, who warned me that stress was a big trigger for him. Which didn’t help at all. Who can avoid stress?

I remember having to abandon the car before I finally staggered inside. Aiden came back to find me collapsed on the floor in the hallway. The following morning he said I’d scared him, and he made me promise I wouldn’t take that risk again.

Well, at least Aiden still cares, so whatever is going wrong between us, that’s a comfort, I suppose.

He slides into the chair opposite me, looking sheepish.

‘Hannah was right, I double-checked the ticket myself. We’ve won, Fern.’

Wrapping my hands gently around the mug of tea for a few seconds, I allow the almost scalding heat to shock some life back into me. The migraine pills leave my senses feeling muted, as if there’s a slight disconnect – a fuzziness that won’t be shaken. As the heat builds, I withdraw my hands and drop them down onto my lap. With fingers tingling, it’s good to feel something that pulls me sharply back into the moment.

It’s only money: the words jump into my head, unbidden. Money won’t fix the fact that something has changed in Aiden and my fear is that he has fallen out of love with me.

‘We’ll be able to pay off the mortgage. And clear the credit cards.’ He draws to a halt. Aiden’s tone is gentle and as I watch his expression, I can see he understands it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. My brain doesn’t seem able to process the words right now, and I look at him blankly. ‘Come on. What you need isn’t tea, but sleep.’

He stands and, in two strides, a pair of strong arms lift me up out of my seat and steer me towards the door.

‘Promise me you won’t take that risk again, silly thing. You might be superwoman, Fern, but I suspect even she has an off day every now and again. We all need a little help from time to time and that’s what I’m here for.’

I needed to hear that. Oh, how I needed to hear that. With his arms around me, a sense of relief, of being rescued, allows me to let go. Like a balloon deflating, suddenly I feel empty and my husband is in control. My rock is still my rock.

Aiden lowers me onto the bed and helps me undress. As soon as my body sinks back onto the soft, cool surface of the crisp cotton sheet and my head hits the pillow, I’m spirited away. The darkness is like a cocoon and I welcome it.

2

Isn’t it Everyone’s Dream… a Win?

Georgia peers at me over the top of her mug of coffee, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.