He nods. His eyes bright with unshed tears. ‘Even so… I shouldn’t have neglected you both. Maybe if I’d spent more time with Dina instead of leaving you to do it all… you were only a kid yourself. She was such a little ’un when your mum died. And now, now it’s all too late…’

‘Dad, stop. You did the best you could at the time. Look at me, after all this stuff with Dina and Toby. I was a mess – still am – but at least I had your help. After Mum died, you didn’t have anyone to help with me and Dina. You were on your own. I think you did a pretty good job, considering.’

Dad takes in everything I’m saying, then he clears his throat. ‘Thanks, love. You’re a good girl, you are.’ He pats my hand and gets to his feet. ‘Okay, well, that omelette smells like it’s almost done. Want me to call the kids down?’

‘Yes please.’

As he walks towards the door, I feel a settling of something inside me. Despite the chaos and uncertainty of everything else, I realise a large piece of my life has been resolved.

My father hesitates at the door, squaring his shoulders. ‘I love you, Zo,’ he says, without turning around.

‘Love you too, Dad.’

Epilogue

I close my eyes and try to get comfortable beneath the thin sheet and blanket, turning this way and that before finally giving up like I always do. Instead, I lie on my back with my eyes open, staring into the semi-darkness, accepting that sleep isn’t coming any closer. That it never arrives until it’s almost time to wake up again. In this place, the nights are endless and the days roll into one another. Time works differently here.

I thought time would help to calm my anger. But it hasn’t abated at all. If anything, it’s grown stronger. Each cell in my body, quivering with outrage and fury at what’s happened. At the travesty of justice that’s occurred. I’m a mother. My job is to protect my children. To keep them safe from danger. From predators.