‘And you say you’re not a narcissist?’

‘Look, I know you don’t want to hear this from me right now,’ Angie continued. ‘But Alan loves you very much. I’ve always thought it, ever since I first met you both and if I’m being honest, which I really want to be with you, I always felt a bit jealous. I would love to be adored.’

‘But you are adored! Jack adores you.’

‘It’s complicated, Sophie. All I can say is that Alan is a genuinely nice man.’

‘Well, I certainly used to think he was.’

‘And he cares about you more than you know.’

‘I don’t really want to talk to you about how Alan feels about me, thanks.’

Angie fell silent.

Her whole demeanour is different, Sophie thought. She looks defeated.

‘Jack’s moved out,’ Angie said. ‘I don’t know if he’s coming home.’

‘I can’t say I blame him.’

‘I know,’ Angie said sadly. ‘I’ve messed everything up.’

‘Yes.’

‘If I could take it all back, I would.’

‘But you can’t.’

‘No.’

‘So, I think you need to get the fuck out of my kitchen.’

Angie nodded and stood up. The conversation could never have ended any other way and they both knew it. ‘Ellie and Freddy are asking to see Tom and Katie,’ she said, tentatively. ‘Perhaps we could sort something out, for the sake of the children?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘We don’t have to see each other; I could send them round and you could send them back at an agreed time?’

Angie sounded desperate. Perhaps this was her attempt to fix what had happened. It would never be fixed between the adults but maybe she thought she’d feel better if she managed to stop the children from becoming collateral damage. The problem was that Sophie didn’t want Angie’s children playing in her house, like nothing had happened, no matter how innocent they were in all of this. And she certainly didn’t want her children in Angie’s house. There was no way that the kids could continue to hang out as normal, having sleepovers at each other’s houses, as if the two families were still the best of friends. How could she even think that was possible right now?

‘No, Angie.’

‘Okay.’ Angie nodded again. ‘I understand. I’ll leave you to it.’ She put her coat on and began walking towards the back door.

Sophie considered asking her to use the front but knew that it would sound petty.

Just before she opened the door, Angie looked back at her. ‘I know we’ll never be friends again. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But for what it’s worth, I think that Alan does.’

‘That’s none of your business.’

‘You’re right, it’s not.’ And with that, she was gone.

Afterwards Sophie sank down onto a chair, exhausted. Her marriage was in tatters and she had lost her close friend to boot. Where did she go from here? Perhaps in a different world, under different circumstances, she might have found herself walking across to Angie’s house in search of a listening ear. But that was impossible now and would never happen again.