‘I’m not sure when I’ll finish, but if I can I’ll let you know nearer the time.’

Bess nodded, hating the vagueness of the response. She liked to text Mario in advance and to know exactly what everyone wanted to eat. She felt a ridiculous swell of anxiety over this smallest thing: who would be coming for fish and chips and who wanted large or small chips and who wanted their sausage battered or plain and whether their preference was for cod or haddock and were they all fans of salt and vinegar, did anyone have a yearning for curry sauce or the peas of mush? Despite knowing this was ridiculous, anxiety lurked in her gut nonetheless.

‘Are Jake and Dan coming over – when are they home? Can’t wait to see them!’ Natalie asked brightly.

‘Well, your guess is as good as mine!’ Bess took another long, deep sniff of the candle. ‘I’d like to see Jake, of course, being as it’s my birthday.’ She put the candle back in its box. ‘What’s that sigh for?’

Natalie shrugged and used the long nail of the index finger on her left hand to clean the nails on her right. ‘I just hate the tension between you and Dan.’

‘It’s not my fault. I have tried.’

‘Yeah, I know, you’ve said that before, but—’

‘But what?’

‘But it upsets him, Mum, and that upsets Jake, which isn’t fair. Dan’s not going anywhere, so you need to figure out a way to make things easier.’

‘God, Nats! I welcomed him into my home. We paid for half of their wedding, sprung on us with zero notice. I’ve done nothing but try to make things easier.’ Bess bit her bottom lip. Jake and Daniel had been a couple for a little over eighteen months, and Bess had found him hard to take to. His constant references to all the fabulous places he jetted to for work, the shimmering swimming-pool posts on his social media, the fancy hotels. She didn’t like show-offs. And being excluded from their wedding planning and the whole thing being pulled together in a matter of weeks with none of the joyous build-up had been the final straw. ‘I just find it hard to see Jake so controlled! He looks to Dan for approval on just about everything and now it’s his diet, his clothes and he’s even suggesting he change his career!’

‘What did Dad do when you met him?’

‘Dad? Oh, he was working in sales, but I told him what my dad had always said, that if you get a trade under your belt it can see you through feast and famine – there’s always a need for good tradesmen, especially in the building industry.’ She looked at her daughter, whose expression was judgemental. ‘What?’ She resented the silent suggestion that she was in any way like Daniel.