Mandy walked round to her own yard, conscious of Steve watching her. She could see how it looked to him. She felt guilty and ashamed, although she’d done nothing wrong.

‘You look guilty as hell.’ He stood on the back step, blocking her entrance to the kitchen.

‘Let me in, will you?’ She stepped up to the door but he didn’t budge.

‘I thought you might have had the decency to stay away from Joe Green.’

‘I went to have a word with him, to ask him to keep quiet about William.’

He hit the door frame with the palm of his hand. ‘You said you’d stay away from him! It’s what we agreed!’

‘I’m sorry. I was scared he might dob us in.’ William was waking from his nap; she could hear him, chatting and squealing to himself. ‘Let me get him,’ she said, stepping up to the back door. ‘Let me go to him, before he gets cranky.’

He stood aside for her and she felt the anger in him as she passed. His chest revved with it like an engine.

‘I’m not a fool, Mandy,’ he called out. ‘I’m onto you!’

William smiled at the sight of her and lifted his head. She lay down on the bed next to him and messed his hair so his curls sprung up. Her breathing settled in time with his and she listened to his chatter, her hand on the small of his back.

‘I ought to stick with blokes your age,’ she said, her head next to his on the mattress. ‘The rest are too much trouble, d’you know that?’ She lifted him under his arms and let him climb over her.

‘We agreed you’d stay away from that bastard next door.’ Steve was in the hallway, barely visible at the edge of the door frame. ‘Why can’t you stick to what we agreed?’

She sat up, tried to see his face. ‘I’m sorry I went over there.’

‘Not as sorry as I am.’

She ran her fingers over the soles of William’s feet. Steve moved to the side of the room and stood with his back to the window.

‘It’s been a week, Mandy,’ he said. ‘One week it took for you to go running to him. Maybe you’d have gone sooner if I’d turned my back.’

‘He saw the baby, Steve. I wanted to explain –’

‘I want you to avoid him like the plague. Do you hear me?’

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the baby. She’d messed up again, going over to see Joe. Steve had seemed a bit more like his old self these past couple of days and she’d stopped treading so carefully. It was early days, but. She’d have to give it time, be patient.

‘If you see him in the street I want you to cross the road,’ he said. ‘If you see him out in the yard I want you to look away.’

‘He lives next door, Steve. I see him every day.’