Glancing at her mobile phone, Grace sat in the endless snake of city-centre rush-hour traffic. Leaning her face against the driver’s window, she enjoyed its pleasant momentary coolness on her flushed cheeks. Her thoughts drifted to Sandra and how worried she’d been that Nathan would find out about their friendship. Fortunately for both of them, Nathan had no idea.

She remembered the day when Sandra had walked, or crashed, back into her life. Grace had just been to a meeting with her accountant and was making her way through town to catch the train back to the pub. ‘It was raining and she was in such a rush she didn’t see the woman with the young boy rounding the corner. As their umbrellas collided she was almost knocked to the ground.

‘I’m so sorry,’ the woman said as she reached her hand out to steady the stumbling Grace. ‘I wasn’t looking.’

Grace looked at her. She looked tired and drawn, pale skin, her eyes red, maybe from crying, Grace thought. The blond boy beside her was probably only a little older than Jake. He wore a coat that was too thin for the wintry weather and Grace noticed the bottom of his trousers were soaked through. The other woman attempted a feeble smile and it was then that Grace recognized the young lady standing before her. ‘Sandra Redman? Is that you?’

It took Sandra a few seconds to recognize her too. ‘Grace,’ she replied sheepishly. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m hungry, Mum,’ the boy’s voice interrupted. ‘Can we have McDonald’s?’

‘Not now, Eddie,’ Sandra said quietly, and Grace got the impression this woman couldn’t afford such a luxury.

‘Well, what a coincidence,’ Grace said leaning down so she could see the boy’s face. ‘I was just going to McDonald’s myself. But I hate eating on my own. Would you like to join me? My treat,’ she added, directing this to Sandra now.

‘Can we, Mum? Can we? Please?’ The young Eddie pleaded, his cheeky smile hard to resist.

Twenty minutes later Grace and Sandra were enjoying a coffee while Eddie tucked into his Happy Meal.

‘Does Nathan know about Eddie?’ Grace asked matter-of-factly. She knew as soon as she saw the boy’s smile that he was Nathan’s. He had the same blue eyes too.

Sandra stared back open-mouthed, no doubt waiting for the reprimand or the accusations which were about to follow. But Grace wasn’t concerned with any of that. She knew her ex-husband well enough to know he would have used this woman as he used all of them. And right then, it appeared that Sandra and her son, were in need of a little compassion.