Paige crossed her arms over her chest and gave a scornful laugh. ‘I can’t believe you’re throwing our marriage away over someone you haven’t even been on a date with.’

‘You threw our marriage away, Paige, when you upped and left six months ago to travel around the world with your new boyfriend.’ Her mouth flew open in shock, but he carried on, pulling himself back. ‘But that’s still beside the point. We both know things were difficult before you left. I’ll never stop you seeing Freddie, but I deserve to be happy too. And for that to happen, I need Bella in my life. In Freddie’s life. And that’s something you’re going to have to get used to.’

A thick and heavy silence descended, like a layer of animosity over the room.

‘Where will I live?’ she fired back a few minutes later.

‘I don’t know. You’ll have to get a job and a flat, I suppose. You might have to go and stay with your parents for a while. I wasn’t sure when you’d want to leave, so I spoke to Mrs Dalloway. Her other cottage that she rents out is free over Christmas. She said you can stay there. I’ve booked it from tonight.’

‘Tonight? So you’re kicking me out?’

‘You can’t stay here, Paige. It’s too difficult, and the longer it goes on the harder it’ll be for Freddie. If you go tonight, he’s got a little bit of time to get used to it before Christmas. I’ve already talked to him, and he understands. It’s hard but …’

It had been the hardest conversation he’d ever had with his son. Harder than the conversation where he’d explained he didn’t know where Paige was or when she was coming back. At least he knew things would soon settle down and that this was the right thing for the future. For them all.

‘Talking about Freddie, don’t you think he deserves a family?’

Nick had known this argument would come as it was the thing he’d been wrestling with himself. ‘He deserves happiness and a happy family, whatever that looks like. No family is perfect, but he’d be better off with us apart and happy than together and miserable.’

‘Which is what you’d be?’