‘I’m fine,’ I say at normal volume. ‘I told you earlier I just lost track of time. I didn’t realize how late it was, and my phone was on silent. That’s why I missed Rav’s call.’

‘Are we … OK, though?’

‘Yes. Why wouldn’t we be?’ Aside from the fact that you think I’m going bonkers, and although I can’t prove it yet, I think there is something going on between you and my husband. I meet her gaze head on, rearranging my face to clear any animosity from it. It’s unsettled me, seeing her sitting at my spot at the kitchen table, my baby in her arms, discussing with my husband how I could be crazy.

‘No reason.’ Naomi shakes her head slightly and I watch as she glances at Rav, who gives me a small smile. There’s something wary on his face mixed with something that could almost be guilt.

‘Mummy!’ A shout comes from upstairs, a piercing cry from Mina’s bedroom. The baby isn’t finished with his bottle, and I dither for a moment, trying to weigh up which child needs me most. Before I can decide, Rav speaks.

‘Naomi, would you just check on her? Allie’s still feeding and I have to keep stirring this.’

‘Of course, no problem.’ Naomi jumps to her feet. ‘… Unless you want to go, Al? I can give him the rest, there’s only a tiny bit.’

I shake my head, watching as she bounds up the stairs, hearing her voice murmur to Mina and then the sound of footsteps overhead as Naomi leads Mina back to bed. I turn my attention to Rav.

‘You could have texted me, told me Naomi was here. I would have hurried back.’

‘It’s not a big deal, is it?’ Rav keeps stirring the saucepan. ‘She only got here about twenty minutes before you came home; she wanted to check on you. As soon as she leaves, you and I can sit down together and talk.’

‘OK.’ The baby finishes the bottle and I stand, laying him over my shoulder and patting his back to bring up any wind. ‘I wasn’t expecting Naomi to be here, that’s all. She was at the preschool this morning, when I was … when I was late.’ The baby burps contentedly and I lay him gently in the Moses basket.

‘Yeah, I asked her to go, because you weren’t answering your phone.’ Flicking a tea towel over his shoulder Rav turns to me, before his gaze moves past me and I realize Naomi must have returned.

I turn and say, ‘Naomi, you’ll stay for dinner, won’t you?’

Chapter Twenty-Four