The third week after she started her daily pilgrimage to the park, she decided not to sit on her bench and wandered the tree-lined paths that crisscrossed the manicured grass, exploring parts of the green oasis she rarely visited. In one little corner of the park a small group of middle-aged men and women practised tai chi, led by a tiny Chinese woman dressed in a wine-red velour tracksuit. Around another bend, four artists had set up easels and were painting the scene before them, supervised by an octogenarian in a baggy linen suit, who was encouraging them with gentle words. A group of schoolchildren straggled past her in loud excitement as their teachers tried to wrangle them into groups and finish whatever worksheet they were supposed to be doing.

All around her people were learning. People were teaching.

An idea started to form in her mind. A half-baked idea, maybe. But the spark was enough to cling on to and she raced home to start exploring it further.

When Mark came home that night, her half-baked idea had turned in to a plan and she was bursting to tell him all about it.

He walked into the dining room with a large chocolate bouquet. ‘Hey, princess. Thought this might cheer you up a bit.’ He kissed the top of her head and poured himself a glass of wine to have with dinner.

‘I have some news.’ She sat down beside him.

‘Oh?’

‘Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and …’ she put the proposal she’d been working on all afternoon in front of him. A proposal for a course at the writers’ centre that she would teach. ‘What do you think? I have to get the expression of interest in this week if I’m going to be considered for next semester’s program.’

Mark read the pages. ‘So you’d be teaching every Wednesday? For eight weeks?’

‘Yes. I just thought …’

Mark stood up. ‘Even though we agreed you wouldn’t go back to work?’

‘Yes, but …’

‘Am I not enough for you?’ He frowned.

‘What?’

‘Well, it seems to me like you’re desperate to fill your life with things other than me.’

Nicky stared at him, not comprehending.

‘You’re still hanging on to the idea of having children. I saw the IVF brochure in your drawer. I was going to ignore it, but now you’ve forced me to bring it up.’

Nicky felt her face go hot from shame. She had gone behind his back.

‘And now this. What else am I supposed to think other than I’m not enough for you?’

Nicky didn’t know what this was, and she scrambled to form a coherent response.

‘Well?’ Mark asked.

‘I just thought maybe it might be fun. Give me something to do other than sit around here and stare at my computer screen.’

Mark shook his head and retreated into silence.