‘And now we do.’ Flynn looked her in the eyes for the first time since arriving. ‘Hard to believe, even now when I know the truth.’

‘I always imagined you with blond hair and tanned skin running along Bondi beach.’ Jodie tightened her hands around her mug.

‘Who was my father?’

Jodie knew the question would come. She’d prepared for it, had done some research and found a suitable name. ‘His name was Toby Wall. He was a boy in my class. We thought we were in love, you see, but we were kids. His family moved away shortly after and I never heard from him again. I heard later that he’d been killed. One of those freak accidents.’ She let that sink in before adding, ‘I thought adoption would give you a better life.’

‘It wasn’t a worse one,’ Flynn said, with a shrug. ‘I grew up in a one-parent family in the end anyway.’

As would their child. Jodie’s face tightened. Flynn didn’t know about the baby and she wasn’t going to tell him. How could she? He was struggling to cope with her being his mother, how could she add to that by telling him that she was pregnant with his child. He’d probably be horrified. Like Rivka, he might think it gross and insist she have the child aborted.

No, it was better to keep her secret. She expected to hear any day that the NMC case against her had been dismissed. When it was all sorted, she was going to move away. She was thinking of Scotland. It was a long way from anyone she knew. She would leave her old life behind. Leave Flynn behind. Abandon him again. ‘Where are you staying?’ she asked, pushing the heartbreaking thought away.

‘A mate’s flat. It’s not ideal but it’ll do for the moment.’

‘Why don’t you move back in here?’ she said, the words coming unexpectedly, surprising herself. She watched as shock, or was it disgust, flit across his face and she hurried to explain. ‘It was something we mentioned, remember? If we didn’t work out as lovers, we might end up being flatmates.’ She smiled at him. ‘We never expected it to end quite like this but…’

Flynn frowned. ‘Won’t it be odd?’

Odd? Living with her ex-lover, her son, the father of her child. ‘It won’t be for long, I’m thinking of moving to Scotland, but it will give you time to get sorted. Anyway, stay for dinner. I’m making spaghetti bolognaise.’

He didn’t reply. Jodie finished her tea in silence and stood to finish preparing dinner. She’d made extra bolognaise for the freezer. It would be enough for the two of them. Ten minutes later, she put a plate in front of him and handed him a fork. ‘Enjoy.’