Why me and not Rex and Melissa though?

I gazed at an intricate photo display of the family in various exotic locations, mainly ocean or mountain based. I thought of my own jolly display on the living-room shelf: the one of us on the pier at Brighton, with candy floss; the one of the kids and Jonny on a beach on the Costa del Sol, all suffering from sunburn. Zach’s football photo; Ali on her trapeze. Jonny’s mum and dad outside their first flat, him not long off the ship from the Caribbean. Everyone at Carnival. A faded wedding photo taken outside the registry office with a disposable camera of Jonny and I kissing and laughing – at my too big heels, I remembered fondly, cream satin, bought from a vintage shop on Golborne Road.

I gazed at Willow, Beau and Marcus on jet-skis, skimming across aquamarine water, and thought – what is it I’m not seeing?

There was something wrong with the whole picture: as if I was looking at it from upside down.

And I felt a jab of fear as I wondered, what really lies beneath the surface here?

By the time I’d taken a few deep breaths and texted Zach to say no, he couldn’t get Uber Eats for tea, there was lasagne in the fridge, everyone else had assembled back in the kitchen.

The waitress had vanished, along with the dirty plates. I hoped for her sake they’d been stacked – neatly – in the dishwasher.

Two silver cafetières of coffee steamed next to jugs of cream and fine bone china cups so tiny, they were barely worth the effort. Beside the groaning cheeseboard, dark chocolates lay on a white plate beneath a purple orchid Melissa and Rex must have brought – expensive, and definitely not from my shop, I noted, with a small sigh. More treachery.

My paltry offering, on the other hand, had been shoved on a shelf.

‘These choccies are well worth the sin.’ Now Nella laid a graceful hand on her husband’s arm. ‘The girls have offered help, Markie, the angels.’

‘With Willow starting Northgate High?’ Melissa’s eyes were bright. ‘Yep, my old man’ll make sure she’s—’

Rex, examining the selection of stinking cheese, coughed.

‘Sorry, I meant Rex – Rex’ll make sure she’s OK.’ Melissa’s smile didn’t falter. ‘But did you hear? A Year 11’s just been put away for a stabbing in Queen’s Park—’

‘Melissa!’ Rex speared a piece of waxy-looking Cheddar with a lethal-looking knife and waved it at Nella. ‘I’ve assured Marcus I’ll be glad to help, as will Cecilia.’

Again I caught the hummingbird end of Nella and Marcus’s glance, tension flickering between them.

‘A-mazing, Rex.’ Nella patted Rex’s arm. ‘I’ll be able to sleep again if I know Willow will have friends, and people watching her back, as it were.’

‘I’ll make a point of watching out for her.’ The man was almost purring. ‘I am the watcher of the walls, after all!’

‘Wonderful!’ But Nella’s smile was quizzical. ‘I’m not sure I quite get the reference though.’