My heart is pumping. Out on the street the Friday night suits and skirts head for the bars. My head is lifting and I really don’t feel like going home. It was a bad idea meeting her, I knew it was but Tom insisted, said it would be for the best for me to express my opinion but I think he thought the pretty social worker would be able to convince me to give it a try.

The noise from the bars spills out on to the street. Laughter, music, fun. I wish I could join them, get drunk, forget this unfolding disaster for a while. But I can’t. I have to drive home to where Tom is probably waiting for me to say, ‘Fine, I’ll do it.’ He can think again.

Chapter Nineteen

Click clack, click clack. Donna’s heels pound the tiled floor inside. When she opens the door, she’s holding a glass of wine in her hand. Her hair looks like she just left my salon, puffed and perfect framing a beautifully made-up face. Donna is dressed in a tight pair of white jeans with a royal blue T-shirt hugging her chest. Her hand stretches out to pull me inside.

‘Delighted you called, darling,’ she says, closing the door behind me.

I wasn’t sure whether I should call or not but I thought Donna might be a better option than going home. I sent Donna a text to see if she was busy. Her reply:

I’m never too busy for a friend.

‘Here.’ She hands me a glass of red wine.

‘But I have the car, Donna, I can’t…’

She puts her finger over my lips quietening my plea and bends forward looking into my eyes. ‘Leave the car, Sal. Walk. You’re under a lot of pressure, one glass won’t do any harm.’

I’m not sure what I should do. I only planned on popping in for a quick chat but then I think, why not? Tom never worries about leaving me alone on a Friday night, why should I worry about him? The kids will be asleep shortly. Amber is next door so she won’t even know I’m not home. I’ll have two glasses, no more, leave the car and walk around the corner to my house. We can talk then.

‘Thanks, Donna,’ I say, swallowing down half a glass in one gulp.

Donna laughs. ‘I’m guessing there’s more you want to tell me.’ She tops up my glass.

‘There is.’