Indie shook her head. ‘Dad stays.’

Angie nodded wearily. ‘Okay.’

They regarded each other before Angie spoke. ‘Indie, what you did last night hurt a lot of people. I only wish that you had come to talk to me about it first.’

Indie started to protest but Angie held up her hand. ‘Let me finish. What you did was hurtful. But I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been going through, finding out what you did. I am so deeply, deeply sorry for that. It was unforgivable of me.’

Angie had tears in her eyes and Indie welled up too. She blinked furiously, determined to hide her emotion from her mother.

‘I’ve behaved terribly,’ Angie continued. ‘I’ve hurt your father and I’ve hurt you and your siblings which is the last thing I’d ever want to do. I understand why you’re angry with me and I’m not asking for your forgiveness, but I do want you to know that I love you very much. And if there’s anything you want to ask me, I’ll answer truthfully. No more secrets or lies between us.’

Indie thought for a moment and then asked, ‘Do you love Alan?’

‘No.’

‘Why did you do it?’

Angie glanced at Jack before she answered. ‘I’ve been trying to work that out myself,’ she said carefully. ‘I’ve been feeling worried and low for some time now and I didn’t talk to anyone about it. Instead, I let myself do something very stupid.’

‘Do you love Dad?’

‘Yes, very much, but I was also angry with him.’

Indie was confused. ‘Why?’

Angie looked pained. ‘I got an idea in my head about him.’

‘Which was?’

Angie looked reluctant to say.

‘You said no lies, Mum.’

‘I thought Daddy was having an affair. But he wasn’t.’

She’d asked for the truth but now she had it, Indie was feeling even more uncomfortable. Her mother was being so frank, so honest. She’d never had a conversation with her like this before, like they were two grown-ups. She’d been telling her mum to stop treating her like a little child for ages and now that she had, Indie didn’t know what to do with it.

‘Why is Dad moving out when you’re the one who made the mistake?’

‘It was Dad’s decision. He’s offered to go and stay with Uncle Sam for a while, to give us a bit of space. I’ve decided to take some time off work. So, I’m going to be around a lot more and I want to use that time to make it up to you all, to be a better mother.’

This was all far too civilised, Indie thought, her temper flaring. Too damn civilised. Where was the anger, the hate, the recriminations? She looked at Jack, who seemed so calm.

‘Why aren’t you angry, Dad? Why are you both being so nice, so polite to each other?’

She heard a noise behind her and swung round to see Benji standing in the doorway. She had no idea how long he’d been listening to their conversation. She glanced at her brother and smiled in what she hoped was a conciliatory way but he didn’t look at her.