‘Nelson,’ said Angela, sitting back in her chair and looking a little exhausted by the drama that he had related. ‘I do think this is something you might have discussed with me first. Major life decisions can have consequences that you wouldn’t imagine. You might wake up tomorrow and regret it.’

‘I won’t regret it,’ said Nelson confidently. ‘I knew exactly what I was doing and I’m glad that I saw it through. I’m only sorry that I can’t do it again. I hated that place. I hated the teachers, the pupils, the desks and the chairs. I hated the smell of disinfectant and sweat. I hated the fact that I’d spent so much of my life there.’ He thought about it for a moment. ‘And I hated the food. I really hated the food.’

‘Well, it’s a school, Nelson,’ replied Angela. ‘What did you expect, cordon bleu?’

‘Something digestible,’ he said. ‘No, I’m better off out of the place. I would have done someone an injury if I’d stayed any longer. Most likely myself.’

Angela sighed and scribbled a few things in her notebook.

‘What are you writing?’ asked Nelson.

‘Nothing for you to worry about.’

‘Still, I’d like to know. Is it about me?’

She looked up at him with a derisive expression on her face. ‘No, Nelson, it’s a reminder for me to pick up laundry detergent on the way home. Of course it’s about you. This is your session.’

‘There’s no need to be sarcastic,’ he said, feeling a little miffed. ‘That’s not very professional.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You’re quite right. I have to admit that I’m not feeling myself today.’

‘Is there anything you’d like to talk about? You do look a bit peaky, if you don’t mind my saying.’

‘Plenty of things,’ she replied. ‘Only not with you.’

‘I’m a good listener.’

‘You’re also my patient. And I’m your therapist. We don’t want to go down the transference and counter-transference route. So let’s stay on track, shall we? All right, you’ve quit your career. It’s an extreme action, but sometimes a person can just walk away from their job on the spur of the moment and it can prove to be the best decision of their life. But staying at home on your own every day isn’t going to fix your problems with women. Especially when you’re still living with your parents. One thing I wanted to talk to you about, in fact, is the possibility of you moving out. And perhaps persuading all your siblings to move out too. Letting your father live his own life without having to take care of you all.’

‘My parents, you mean,’ said Nelson. ‘My mother and my father.’

‘Well, sure,’ she said. ‘If that’s the way things go.’

‘It’s certainly on my agenda,’ he agreed. ‘And as for my problems with women, they’re completely fixed.’ He waved a hand in the air. ‘Nothing to worry about there at all.’

Angela tried not to laugh. ‘Just like that?’ she asked.