Adrenaline surges through my veins. Barb is out of order taking my children without permission. I turn, the gravel crunching beneath my feet, and run back to my car. I try her mobile again and this time I can’t help myself – I leave a shitty message. She’s got ten more minutes, then I’m calling Nick. I hope it’s a case of having missed them and while I’ve been driving around, they’ve returned home.

I throw the door open. The house is quiet. Going room to room, I check if any of their school stuff has been deposited. There’s a possibility Carl might’ve let Barb in if he happened to be here showing a client around the time school ended. But there’s no sign of them. Where on earth are they? I’ll have to do another drive around the village.

As I’m about to step back out the front door again, I see something sticking out of the letterbox on the inside. I grab it. A torn page from Finley’s jotter is folded in half. Words written in pencil are scrawled across it.

Nanna picked us up from school. Daddy is taking us all to Maccies. Love Finley and Leo xx

‘Really?’ I screw the paper up. ‘Fuck’s sake, Nick. Thanks for the call.’

Honestly. Is it so difficult to pick up the phone and ask? He’s never done this before. It’s got to be Barb’s idea. My agitation continues to grow despite now knowing where they are.

I need to vent.

Chapter Six

Amber

‘Hey, Jo. Mind if I come in for a bit?’ I force my lips into a smile, which likely resembles more of a grimace.

‘Don’t do that. It looks like you’re constipated,’ Jo says as she swings the door open and steps aside.

I’ve walked down the road to the only safe place I know. The one place where I can shout and scream, swear and rant without any judgement. And where, without fail, I’m offered wine.

‘Thanks,’ I say as I head through the hallway passage, which leads to the kitchen – the hub of the home, as Jo always says. Keeley is standing by the open fridge, a large glass of white in one hand. She stretches it out towards me.

‘Ahh. How did you know?’ I take it from her and immediately gulp some of the cold liquid. I feel my body relax a little, the tension already beginning to disperse.

‘Amber. As soon as Jo opened the door, I could sense your current mood,’ Keeley says with a sympathetic smile.

‘What’s he done now?’ Jo asks.

‘Well, actually it’s not Nick. Or, not directly, anyway. It’s Barb!’

‘Oh, that old battle-axe? She still sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted?’