‘Marie!’ Her father spun around on his chair. ‘You gave me a fright. It must be almost lunchtime. Hungry?’

Marie shook her head.

‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.

Marie didn’t know how to articulate all of the emotions that wriggled around her tummy like worms. She thought very hard about what she wanted to say – the questions she wanted to ask – but there was a part of her, a big part that just didn’t want to know the answers. She shrugged.

‘Let’s get you back to bed.’ He stretched out his hand and led the way upstairs. She didn’t want to take it, in that moment he almost felt like a stranger to her, but then she thought, be good and he won’t send you away.

‘Daddy.’ She looked at him earnestly as he tucked the duvet around her legs. ‘I’d never take drugs. Neither would Leah or Carly.’

Be good and he won’t send you away.

‘I should hope not! You shouldn’t be thinking of such things at your age.’

Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten since dinner last night. She was ravenous.

‘Shall I bring up some soup? Beans on toast?’

‘Which is cheaper?’

Be good and he won’t send you away.

‘I don’t know. That’s a funny question. Why do you ask?’

‘I think…’ Marie’s voice wobbled. ‘I think we must all cost a lot to feed and we could eat less, I could and—’

‘Why—’

‘And I could share my dinner with Bruno so he doesn’t have to live in a cage with the other dogs laughing at him because he comes from a posh home.’ Tears streamed down Marie’s cheeks.

‘Marie.’ The mattress dipped as her dad perched on the edge. ‘I need you to tell me what this is about.’

All the words she needed to say clumped together as one hard mass and rose in her throat but she couldn’t spit them out. She couldn’t swallow. Breathe.

‘Shhh.’ Dad rubbed her back. ‘Calm down. It’s okay.’

‘It isn’t.’ Marie hiccupped. ‘I heard you and Mum last night. I know you’re going to split us all up and I’ll have to eat cold mush and scrub floors and—’

‘Enough.’ Her dad held up his palm. His shoulders rose before slumping. Marie heard the breath whoosh out of his nose. ‘It seems I have some explaining to do. But, Marie, you must give me your extra best promise that you can keep a secret. Can you do that?’

‘Yes, Daddy.’ His gaze held hers, waiting for more. ‘I promise I can keep a secret.’

Be good and he won’t send you away.

‘We’re in a bit of a sticky situation,’ he began falteringly. ‘Financially… You might have noticed we haven’t been on holiday for a long time. The fridge isn’t packed full of the usual things we like to eat.’

‘Carly babysits us so Mum doesn’t have to pay anyone?’

‘Yes. That sort of thing. If we don’t get back on our feet pretty sharpish I won’t have a business and we won’t be able to live here any more.’