‘No. Amber is up the wall over her daddy, I want to see if he’s playing golf. Put Amber’s mind at rest… and my own.’

‘Will you be long?’

‘Half an hour at the most. No one will even miss me.’

The tall shape of a man is standing on the opposite side of the stained-glass door when I walk out to the hallway. For a moment my heart lifts. He’s here. Tom is back. But then I realize it can’t be Tom. He wouldn’t be waiting for someone to answer the door when he has a key. With my hand on the lock, presuming it to be one of the kid’s daddies arriving, I open the door. Shock.

‘Dad!’

‘Sally.’ He smiles at me.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Just thought I’d call in and say happy birthday to the boys.’

His hair has a little extra grey, sprinkled among the dark strands, wrinkles jut out from his dark brown eyes. But other than that, nothing much has changed. He still stands tall and straight like he’d spent time in the army, which he hasn’t. My father’s wars were all fought at home.

He bends forward, his broad shoulders leaning in to hug me. As a kid I would sit on those shoulders for hours, my rest from a long walk, my outpost from which to view a game or the parade on Paddy’s Day. But as I got older, the view became tainted, the shoulders of my giant slowly becoming those of a coward’s.

‘Are you not going to invite me in?’

I step back from the doorway allowing him to enter. Everything is dancing around in my brain. The last time I laid eyes on my father was over a year ago. And now here he is. All six feet two of him strolling down my hallway like he is doing someone a favour.

Releasing my tight grip from the door handle I close my gaping mouth and follow him into the front room.

His size reflects his presence. Intrusive. Amber is standing by the table about to lift a bowl full of jelly sweets when she looks over at him. Wow, I’m not sure if she wants to laugh or cry, her face is desperately trying to hold back some kind of explosion.

‘Amber,’ I call out, attempting to break her trance. ‘Say hello to your granddad.’ There are two other parents in the room helping to clear up the table now the kids have all retired to the playroom. Thankfully they are not aware of how fucking mad this is.

Amber steps forward, looking slightly awkward but when my father puts his arms out she steps into his embrace and hugs him.

‘My, you are such a pretty girl, Amber!’ he says before embarrassing himself by asking her what age she is now.