‘It happened slowly. But then doesn’t everything when you’ve been married as long as us? One day it’s fine. You work. Things are ticking along. You’ve got into your routine. You know your roles. Some days you might notice you’re not really having sex. Some days you might notice you’re not really talking. Exchanging information, yes, but not really talking. But you decide it doesn’t matter. No marriage is perfect. No husband is perfect. You’re just getting on with life. And you’re both pretending that this is all fine. That you’re happy because you aren’t miserable. You’d know if you were miserable, right? And you have children. You’re their parents and they need you to be together. And you wouldn’t want to upset them when you aren’t really miserable. Yes, this is never what you imagined. But then what’s the alternative? You aren’t going to find anyone else. Your children are happy, they’re settled, this is the life they know. And isn’t seeing them happy enough? It should be enough. It should be.’ She stopped to draw breath and took a sip of tea. We were all quiet, waiting for more. She was calm now. Her tears had stopped.

‘You want to say things. Of course you do. Can’t you speak a little nicer to me? Why don’t we laugh anymore? And even though you aren’t happy, even though you haven’t been happy for a long time, you don’t do anything because you don’t want to rock the boat.’ Naomi looked down at her hands. ‘And then you realise the boat’s already sunk. You find out he’s sleeping with someone else. And it makes you sad. So sad. Until you realise you’re not sad that he’s cheated, that he’s lied, that he’s broken your wedding vows. You’re sad that he didn’t do it earlier.’ She shook her head. ‘That years have been wasted in this limbo. This living through your children and forgetting the rest of your life.’ She let out a long breath.

We all sat there in silence. Kate broke it first. ‘You’re right, Naomi. You’re completely right. And you’re so brave to take the first step. You don’t need him.’ She reached her hand across the table and clasped Naomi’s.

Camilla was stirring her tea, staring off into the distance. Naomi’s marriage problems were either boring her or she didn’t know how to cope with such an unbecoming display of emotion.

‘Just remember we’re here for you, Naomi,’ continued Kate.

‘Yes, yes, of course we are. Anything you need,’ I added.