Jimmy found he was shaking, and he hated that he was so nervous about something so normal. His wife had only been for a visit to her mother’s – it wasn’t as if that was something outrageous. But she was so difficult these days, even making a cup of tea was like a military operation around her. He loved his new son and he adored his daughter, but Cynthia made everything awkward, he felt unable to enjoy being with his own family. He hated that he was so weak, and he knew that she hated that he was so weak. But he didn’t know how to fight her, he had never known how to fight for anything. That was the trouble.

He had always been the type of person who would do anything to keep the peace. That was all he had ever wanted, peace and quiet. How had it turned out so wrong? When did he realise that his life was a sham, and everyone had known long before he had that his wife was a nightmare?

As he heard the taxi pull up outside, he walked out into the hallway and said a silent prayer that his wife would be in a good mood for once. That she would walk into their house with a smile on her face, and tell him how much she had missed him.

But he didn’t hold out much hope.

Chapter Eight

Jack Callahan was watching Rainbow with his granddaughter on his lap. He loved this little girl, and he was loathe to send her back home to her mother. He didn’t think Cynthia was strange – he thought she was a complete fucking nut-job. And he was very vocal about his opinions, much to his wife’s chagrin.

‘Listen, Mary, the trouble with Cynthia is she’s self-obsessed, always was, and always will be. There is nothing you can do about it, so let it go, will you?’

Mary didn’t answer her husband; she knew from experience that he had said all he was going to say on the subject. Unlike her, he never made any allowances for his elder daughter, in fact, he was quite happy to denigrate her on an almost hourly basis. He had no time for Cynthia whatsoever and, as she had no time for him either, it was a very mutual arrangement. But it hurt Mary, because she loved her family, and she hated that her elder child had ruined everything with her toxic personality. She had left this poor child with them and, as much as she loved her, she knew that Cynthia should have wanted her own daughter at home with her, along with her new son. But Cynthia had never wanted Gabby, not really, and Mary knew she mustn’t think about that too much. It just hurt her feelings, hurt her inside.