‘Listen, sweetie, you know she can stay with me, but I understand there could be legal issues with Lawrence. And as her father he has rights. He could leverage that to his advantage. But the fact that he’s left you without any money, unless you take a job in Bali, means you don’t have much choice. Knowing him, he’ll twist it to make you look like you’re an uncaring mum, dashing off for a tropical holiday. You’ll have to be ready for whatever he throws at you.’

‘I know. And who gets a high-paying job in Bali anyway, he’ll say. It will be interesting to see how he spins the disappearance of my jewellery. It just doesn’t add up.’

Tina gave her daughter a quick hug. ‘You look so down in the dumps. Let’s go out and have a coffee before we collect Daisy,’ she said. ‘My treat.’

*

That afternoon, Daisy seemed out of sorts, refusing to eat her dinner and crying broken-heartedly when Grace insisted they turn off the television after her favourite show, old re-runs of Sesame Street.

‘Daddy wouldn’t make me turn it off, you’re mean!’ she shouted at Grace, folding her arms and stamping her feet, her angry little face wet with tears.

Without making a big deal of it, both Grace and her mother knew Daisy was still feeling destabilised and confused at the upheaval in her life. They hadn’t told Daisy about the separation yet, as the little girl was already coping with a lot of change. They’d just told her that Daddy was working in the city and they were staying with Nana near the beach until they found a new house. It wasn’t as though Lawrence used to see Daisy a lot even when they all lived under the same roof, so that, at least, hadn’t changed much for Daisy. But it was clear she was picking up on the tension and uncertainty in the adults around her.

At bedtime, an exhausted Daisy clung to Grace and asked, ‘When are we going to our new home, Mummy? Sparkle wants to go home.’

The cat looked perfectly content on the bed beside Daisy, but Grace knew her darling girl missed her home, her toys and clothes – and the sense of normality that her old life had had. This extended ‘holiday’ at her Nana’s was worrying her, even if she couldn’t articulate it.

‘Honey, you’re happy here, aren’t you? And you like your new school, don’t you?’

Daisy nodded.

‘And being with Nana, and near the beach?’

‘Yes, Mummy.’

‘But you miss Daddy?’

‘Yeah. Can Daddy come and live here too?’

Grace chose her words carefully. ‘He has to work at his office, honey, and that’s right in the city, so it’s easier for him to stay there. Maybe one day soon you and Daddy can go and do some fun things together.’