Megan is sitting on the bench beside me. I know she’s here, but all I can see is Tom, standing with his arm around a young boy. The pink shirt. The familiar smile.

Swallowing the remainder of the water, I stand up and tell Megan that I’ll be fine. That the boys had a bug yesterday, maybe I caught it from them but I’m grand now. I sound stupid, no one gets a bug for ten minutes.

‘Do you want me to ring Tom?’

‘No! No, just give me a moment, I’ll be fine, honest.’ Tom is the last person I want to see. Even the mention of his name makes me want to check out again.

‘You can’t continue in work, not after getting weak, Sal.’ My God the woman is persistent.

‘I’ll be fine, Meg, honest, just give me a minute.’

My heart is beating so hard, it’s almost audible. This can’t be true. It must be some kind of sick joke or maybe I just imagined Tom in the photo. I’ve been so tired lately, running and racing I can’t trust my own eyesight.

Moving towards the door I realize I have to catch that young girl, Charlie, before she leaves. I need to see the photo again. I want to know the man with his arm around her boyfriend was not my husband.

‘Is she still here?’ I say.

‘Who?’

‘Charlie, the young girl whose hair I was blow-drying, I need to speak to her. Is she still here?’ My palm is on the handle of the door when Megan comes alongside me and pushes it closed.

‘No, she left.’

‘But…’ I’m not going to say anything about the photo she showed me. Not now and definitely not to Megan. Her concerned gaze is already bothering me. Anyway, she’ll think I’ve gone mad if I tell her.

‘Did that girl say something to upset you, Sally?’

‘No… I was feeling unwell before I came in this morning, probably should have stayed at home.’ I turn from Megan’s stare, sipping the last drop of water from the glass that shakes in my hand.

‘Why do you need to talk to her?’

Think, think. ‘I just want to finish her hair… I didn’t get to finish it.’

‘Don’t worry about that, Marie did it.’

Megan takes the empty glass from my hand telling me to sit back down, take a few more minutes. No doubt the shop is busy as hell but Megan is taking the time to stay with me, making sure I’m okay. It’s an odd feeling, having someone take care of me. Usually it’s the other way around. Sally Cooper, looking out for everyone who needs her help.