‘I’ve come to say sorry,’ Indie said, looking down at her nails.

‘Did your mum send you round?’

‘No?’

‘Your dad?’

Indie looked guilty and Sophie nodded. ‘How is he?’

‘He’s moved out.’

This was a development. Sophie wasn’t particularly surprised to hear it but she wondered why Jack hadn’t told her himself. She hadn’t heard from him since New Year’s Day.

‘How’s your mum?’ Sophie couldn’t help asking.

‘Not great,’ Indie said. ‘In a bit of a state actually.’

Sophie nodded. She should be pleased to hear it but she wasn’t particularly.

‘How are you?’ she asked Indie who, despite her heavy make-up, looked tired and gaunt. Although she had done something pretty shitty, she was still just a child.

‘Fine,’ she said, her shaking hands betraying her words.

‘I’m not angry with you, Indie,’ Sophie began, and then stopped. ‘Okay, I’m a bit angry with you, but I don’t blame you. It wasn’t your fault.’

Indie finally looked at her then, for the first time since she’d arrived. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

Sophie nodded and began to stand up, assuming that the conversation was over, but Indie seemed reluctant to leave yet.

‘Was there anything else?’ Sophie asked.

‘Is Alan still here?’

‘Not right now no. If you mean, is he still living here then the answer is yes.’

‘Are you going to get a divorce?’

It’s none of your damn business, Sophie thought, but she bit her tongue. ‘I don’t know. That’s between me and Alan.’

‘I think Mum and Dad are going to get a divorce.’

Indie looked as though she wanted Sophie to disagree, to tell her that she was wrong, but she couldn’t do it. She said nothing.

‘I’ve been remembering things,’ Indie continued, ‘from the past. It’s not the first time Dad’s moved out. I think they’ve been having problems for years.’

Sophie’s eyebrows shot up at this revelation. She had always thought Angie and Jack were the perfect couple. Affectionate, attractive, vivacious, they were basically cover stars for a magazine about successful marriage. Was it really possible that it had been an illusion? All the time she had spent with Angie over the last few years, drinking cups of tea or glasses of wine, she had never breathed a word about trouble in paradise. Nor had Jack for that matter.

But even if Angie had been unhappy, nothing could justify what she had done. And as for her own marriage, that had definitely been a happy one. Hadn’t it? Another image of Alan and Angie together flashed across her mind and she winced.

‘Anyway,’ Indie said, breaking the silence. ‘I’d better get to school. I’m super late.’

‘Thanks for coming by,’ Sophie said, walking her to the front door. ‘Listen, Indie, if you need anything, or you want to talk to someone, I’m always here.’

Indie gave her a small wave and made her way down the road. Sophie stood and watched her until she disappeared around the corner and then she shut the door quietly, thinking about how interesting it was that the daughter had come to apologise but not the mother.