‘Oh, don’t listen to me, Chloe, love. I’m feeling emotional today. I don’t like arguing with Pat, and you know what it’s like, in an argument you both say silly things.’ She gets up and tucks her chair in, but Chloe isn’t ready to let this go.

‘What did you say that was silly?’ Chloe asks.

Maureen stops still on the kitchen lino. ‘Well, I didn’t, but I’m sure in the past—’

‘But he said you were crazy, that was ten minutes ago. That’s a terrible thing to say to someone, let alone his wife.’ She leans back in her chair, feeling the front two legs lift from the floor.

Maureen goes to speak, but instead lets whatever it was drift away. She starts tidying the dishes, scraping her remaining toast into the bin. Chloe knows there’s no need for her to say anything, that the seed she’s planted will take root without her watering it with more words. Still, she is wholly unprepared for what Maureen says next.

‘Maybe Patrick’s right, maybe it’s not such a good idea you being here.’

Chloe tips forward in her chair, landing against the kitchen table.

‘What?’

Maureen bites the corner of her lip. She doesn’t answer. Not right away. But Chloe feels something familiar stir deep inside her.

‘You know he’s jealous, don’t you, Maureen?’ Chloe says. She can’t help it. ‘That’s the problem, he’s jealous of how close we are.’

‘But how could he—’

‘It’s not you and I that are the problem, it’s him.’ Chloe speaks quickly. She knows she should stop before she says too much. But the thought that Maureen thinks she should leave . . . ‘Maybe . . . maybe he’s the crazy one. I mean, why else would he think it’s unhealthy for me to be here? What does he know that we don’t?’

There, she’s said it. The truth beats against the kitchen walls. Chloe stands up from the table and pushes her chair in.

‘What do you mean, Chloe?’ Maureen asks.

‘I’ll start looking for another place—’

‘What do you mean?’ A trace of panic in Maureen’s voice.

‘I’ll be out of here as soon as I—’

‘No, Chloe.’ Maureen takes a step towards her. She grabs hold of her hand.

‘But if Patrick thinks I shouldn’t be here . . .’ Chloe tries to shake her off. She hates doing this to Maureen, hates to see her broken like this, but sometimes, it’s true, you do have to be cruel to be kind.

Maureen grips her harder, tries to weave her fingers through Chloe’s, to make them one.

‘No, he’s wrong,’ Maureen says. ‘You mustn’t go, Chloe. You can’t—’

‘I don’t want to be a bother, you and Patrick were happy here before I—’

‘No, not again. I won’t lose you again, Angie.’