Kenny’s words crash through my head. What is he saying? How can this be? How can he have met Amber? What is going on? I look at Tom who has tomato ketchup dripping from the side of his mouth. His face is frozen like he’s just witnessed a shooting. When I turn to look at Kenny, he’s staring at Tom, his breath still. It’s clear from the shock on his face that Kenny knows he has said something wrong.

‘Where… when, when did you meet her?’

‘I…’ The kid is too nervous to answer, so I turn to Tom.

‘Tom, when did Kenny meet Amber?’

‘Erm… I don’t know… I?’

‘You don’t know or you don’t remember?’ I stand up suddenly aware everyone around me can hear my raised voice. I think about yesterday morning, sitting down telling Amber about her new half-brother. Why did Tom let me do that? Make a fool of me in front of her. Allow her to make a fool of me too.

‘Why didn’t you tell me, Tom?’ My voice doesn’t even sound like my own.

Kenny sits like a scolded child, head bent, staring at the table top again. Tom puts his arm out and asks me to sit back down, which I do. Suddenly it all becomes clear why the social worker suggested a big busy public space to wash the linen in. So Sally can’t make a show of herself, won’t lose her head in public when the truth is revealed.

Taking my bag from under the table, I turn and walk towards the door. Amber has been lying to me. Was that what she wanted to tell me when Tom disturbed us last night? Was she about to say she has already met Kenny? How long ago? And why did she keep that from me? God, I don’t know my own family any more. I open the door as I fight back the tears.

When the door swings closed behind me, I find a spot to lean against the wall of the building. Dragging in deep breaths I look up at the sky and find myself questioning everything I thought I knew. If Amber knows, who else knows? And why did nobody tell me?

With shaking hands, I open the car door. I’m getting good at this, operating under immense pressure. Ever since seeing that photo I’ve been living an emotional nightmare. Nothing is making sense and I’m trying to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together only to be handed more pieces with every passing day.