Through gritted teeth Jess lowers her voice but almost wants it to carry. ‘Comes out with the rest of the shit he talks.’ She swivels about and stares intently into her daughter’s eyes. ‘Izz. Now.’ Izzy breaks from her father’s embrace and returns to Jess, though is mostly entranced by the new toy. ‘You can speak to your dad another time. I’ve already explained this.’

Her awareness of her mother’s distress dawns and she falls sheepish as Jess begins to haul her away. But Izzy also can’t resist a look back, over her shoulder at her dad, who continues to shuffle up the pavement in their wake.

‘Even though I ain’t always there, Izz, what I never forget is how much I love you and your mum. You’re the little girl we brought into this world together.’

Jess snaps her head to the side but still won’t look at Tony. ‘Tone. Please.’

‘And you, kitten, are everything to me. So we all gotta work through this bad time, yeah?’

‘Yeah!’

‘Me and your mum have to. For you.’

Jess stops her retreat along the high street. Bends down to Izzy, who looks shocked at the expression on her mother’s face. ‘Stay here. Right here. Don’t move.’

‘Why?’

‘Cus I bloody says so. I need to say something to your dad.’

Warily, Jess shuffles to Tony and finally meets his eyes. By the time she’s suppressed her fear sufficiently to speak, her voice is no more than a whisper. ‘Tone, please. You can’t tell her things like that. Building up her hopes.’

‘She needs her dad. You and me can work the rest of it out. Like I told you before.’

Jess closes her eyes in a failed attempt to temper her despair. But Tony isn’t discouraged. ‘Longer we’re apart, more she suffers. We both need to think of what’s best for her.’

Tony’s eyes ferret into the shopping bag in Jess’s hand and when he spots the red LAST DAY sticker on a loaf of bread, the sight seems to break his heart. He fishes out his wallet. Thumbs out a fifty-pound note. ‘Here. Been a good week.’

Jess recoils. ‘We’re all right.’

‘Take it. Extra. On top of what’s gonna be transferred this month. Let me help. Please.’

Jess reluctantly and carefully takes the money without touching Tony’s fingers before turning and hurrying back to Izzy, who is doing more than observing another tense exchange between her parents; she’s concentrating hard enough to be studying them. Jess snatches Izzy’s hand.

Tony pads behind his ex and daughter. ‘I can come round later. Bring Chinese.’

‘Mummy! Yes! Yes!’

Jess doesn’t look back. ‘No, ta. We gotta get early nights. Both of us.’