‘I know Tara said we shouldn’t judge, but I’m sorry, there’s an elephant in the room we’re all ignoring,’ she said. Addressing Nick directly, she added, ‘What you and Erin did was wrong, especially Erin. If she loved you like you say she did, she wasn’t only betraying her husband, she was using him as a sop to nurse her to the bitter end. How could she do that? You only have to speak to Steve or Tara to know how awful it must have been for him.’

‘She has a point. It was a shitty thing to do,’ said Jodie.

‘Thank you,’ April said, relieved that someone else was finally getting it. Emboldened, she turned back to Nick. ‘Erin’s husband is the one who has to wrestle with the memory of watching her die. Not you.’

‘No, Nick was forced to keep away,’ Faith said, defiance sparking in her eyes. ‘How awful must that have been?’

‘There are worse things,’ April assured her as her mind made an involuntary leap to the last morning she had woken up next to Jason. Her fingertips turned to ice at the memory and the cold reached her heart.

‘We appreciate this is difficult for you, April,’ Justine replied. ‘And it’s right and proper that you should discuss your feelings rather than let them fester. I’m sure Nick feels better for having shared.’

Nick didn’t look nearly as comfortable as Justine suggested, but she was going somewhere with the conversation. April could sense it and so could Tara, who sat bolt upright.

‘Why don’t we leave it there for now,’ she said, reaching for April’s hand. ‘Justine and I can stay behind later and chat to anyone who needs to talk it through.’

‘I’m not sure we’re finished,’ Justine persisted. ‘The group is most effective when people are open, and, as has been proven tonight, there’s nothing to be gained from keeping things bottled up.’ She looked directly at April when she added, ‘This is a safe environment.’

‘Seriously?’ Faith interrupted. ‘You think now is a good time for this? If you ask me, there’s been enough oversharing for one night.’

‘I disagree. Now would be the perfect time.’

‘No, Justine, it wouldn’t,’ Tara said.

April pulled her hand free of Tara’s grip. It was nice to know her friends had her back – especially Faith, given how April had behaved towards Nick – but it was time to stand up for herself. She took a breath. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Nick stood up.

‘I should go,’ he said. ‘This is my fault.’

Tellingly, no one said it wasn’t, not even Faith, although she did stand up too.

‘You don’t have to go,’ Justine offered.