I’d rolled into her, breathing in her unique scent of cucumber melon, warm dough and clean linen. The essence that always made me feel safe.

‘Thank you,’ I’d breathed excitedly into her ear.

‘You can have anything you want, Naomi. Wherever you find yourself in life, whatever you want to do, if you put the work in, you can have whatever you want.’

I’d nodded into her chest.

‘I mean it,’ she’d said, holding me away to make sure I was listening. ‘Don’t end up like me.’

I didn’t know whether she meant as a stay-at-home mom or a battered wife. ‘I wish I’d listened to my parents,’ she’d said. ‘They did everything in their power to keep me in med school, knowing deep down that’s what I wanted to do. But your dad came along in the first year and it was game over.’

I looked up at her. ‘Did he tell you that you couldn’t carry on?’ I’d asked incredulously.

Her eyes shimmered with tears and melancholy. ‘Not in so many words, but he was only visiting Virginia for a few months and I couldn’t possibly imagine life without him.’

‘So you moved to New York to be with him?’

She’d nodded. ‘He promised that once we were settled, I could restart my training here.’ A tear fell from the corner of her eye, instantly blotting the pillow. ‘But that never happened.’

‘Don’t be sad, Mom,’ I’d said, stroking her cheek.

‘I’m fine, darling,’ she sniffed. ‘But I don’t want you to be like me. I want you to be the person I never got to be. I want you to live with abandonment; travel, love, dance, eat good food . . .’

The front door had slammed shut and her eyes widened with fear.

‘Close your eyes and pretend you’re asleep,’ she’d whispered.

I’d swallowed hard, my heart beating fast at the thought of what was to come.

‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do any of those things,’ she’d said under her breath.

I’d blinked through my own tears and given a half-nod.

‘Promise me.’

I’d nodded again, with vigour.

Her eyelids fluttered shut just before mine did, but I could already feel my father’s presence in the room, like a whirring tornado about to strike.

She made the tiniest of whimpers as he lifted her off the bed by her hair, her eyes willing the cracks in mine to stay closed.

‘You haven’t got time to lie down,’ he’d roared, dragging her towards the door. ‘I haven’t had my dinner yet.’