Inside the house, I dump the bags near the door, slip off my shoes and walk into the kitchen, ignoring the mail that Shaun has obviously picked up from the floor and placed on the side table.

I swallow down my annoyance at his arrogant attitude and instead resolve to make our talk with Maisie a success. She is what’s important here.

Maisie dashes past me, up to her room, to grab something to show her dad and I seize the opportunity to tell Shaun about the broken window.

He walks into the hallway and I follow as he opens the door to look at the fractured glass.

‘Luckily it’s not broken,’ he says mildly. ‘Probably a bird flew into it or something.’

‘A bird? It must’ve been going at speed to do that damage, and I’d have expected to have seen it dead or injured on the path.’ I hesitate. ‘It looks to me like someone has punched the glass,’ I whisper, to avoid Maisie hearing. ‘But who would want to do that?’

‘Exactly. You answered your own question, Em. Maybe time to knock off reading those crime novels of yours, eh?’ He laughs. ‘I’ll sort out a repair, don’t worry.’

Maisie bounces back into the room with her English exercise book and the silver star that Mrs Tetley gave her for her story about a rabbit with a misshapen foot who dreams of becoming a dancer. I confess it brought a lump to my throat when I read it.

‘Wow!’ Shaun’s mouth falls open. ‘This is amazing, and you know what, I know two people who would love you to read it to them.’

‘You do?’

‘Yes, a good friend of mine, a lovely lady called Joanne, and her daughter Piper – you know them from dancing, I think?’

Maisie stares.

‘Piper Dent, you mean?’ she says incredulously.

Shaun’s eyes dart my way but he doesn’t look directly at me.

‘That’s her! I happen to know that Joanne and Piper love stories and I reckon they’d adore this one.’

I stand in the doorway, hands on hips. Is he intending to tell her all on his own?

‘How do you even know what they like?’ Maisie demands.

This might be a key moment, but I’m not going to let him cut me out of the conversation. We agreed to tell Maisie together.

I walk to the fridge and pull out the sandwiches I prepared earlier.

‘Hello. Mind if I join you?’ Predictably, Shaun misses my sarcastic intent. ‘Coffee?’

‘Sure,’ he says, looking back at Maisie, relieved, I think, by the interruption. ‘Thanks.’

I hand Maisie the plate.

‘Thought you said I can have crisps, too?’

‘I think you mean, Thank you for the sandwiches.’ I frown. ‘I’ll get your crisps now.’

‘Thanks,’ she mutters as I walk to the cupboard, but not before I turn and catch her rolling her eyes at Shaun behind my back. I really don’t like the way this is going.

I fill the kettle, flick the switch on and carry Maisie’s crisps over to the seating area.

‘There you go, pumpkin.’ I hand her the packet. ‘Dad’s come over so we can all have a chat together.’

‘Dad thinks Piper Dent would like to read my story,’ Maisie says mutinously, opening the crisps.

‘I’m certain she would,’ he says.

‘Yeah, right. She’s not interested in anyone but herself.’

Shaun sits up straighter amongst the soft cushions, but his shoulders slump a little and I spot that he is chewing the inside of his top lip.

Maisie takes a small bite of a neat triangle of bread, her eyes never leaving her dad’s face.

‘The thing is,’ he begins. ‘You know I’ve got lots of work on now, right, Maisie?’

She nods.

‘Well, me and Mum decided it might be easier if—’

No way. I’m not letting him pull this dirty trick.

‘Your dad has made a decision, Maisie.’

‘Yes, I made a decision… partly because of work.’ He glares at me and then softens his face when he realises Maisie is still watching him. ‘I thought it would be much easier for me to live over the other side of town… to make getting to work easier.’

Maisie frowns. ‘But will this still be your home?’ She turns to me. ‘Dad still lives here, doesn’t he, Mum?’

I look at him and raise an eyebrow.

‘Well… no, I don’t live here any more, not exactly. But I’m not too far from here, and I want you to come and—’

‘Why do you need to live somewhere else if it’s not far from here anyway?’

I study Maisie’s side profile, fascinated. Her still childlike podgy cheeks and upturned nose. All the features of who she’ll become are there now and she’s changing. Growing up by the day.

Her reasoning in questioning Shaun has stunned me. She’s challenging his banal, simplified explanation, interrogating him on what he wants to portray as a simple decision.

In some ways she’s not a child any more. She’s not easily misled and has logical questions that she expects answers to. I feel proud of her and, if I’m honest, a modicum of satisfaction at seeing my husband wriggling on the hook when he thought it would be so easy to tell his nice cosy story and leave the house unscathed.

‘It’s not that far but it’s nearer the motorway, poppet, so it’s far more convenient for work, you see.’

‘But you’re hardly ever here on weekends either,’ she presses him.

Shaun sighs and rubs the heels of his palms on his jeans. He looks at me, but I turn back to Maisie. Reach for her hand.

‘Well, it’s probably not quite as simple as it sounds,’ he says hesitantly. ‘You see, me and Mum, we’re… we’ve been going through a bit of a rough time and we thought the space would do us good.’

‘Are you splitting up?’ Maisie’s clear voice cuts through Shaun’s waffle. She looks at her father and then turns to look at me. ‘Are you?’

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘We are, my love.’

‘Emma!’ Shaun’s nostrils flare.

‘We need to tell her the truth,’ I snap back. ‘She’s not a little kid any more, Shaun. She can handle it.’

‘Yes, but you make it sound so… so final.’ He presses his lips together.

‘Sorry, am I missing something?’ I let out a bitter laugh. ‘I thought you’d made your mind up that you’re moving out. Aren’t you sure?’

‘Of course I am. Why do you always have to—’

He stops talking and we both look at our daughter, who is sitting there silently, sandwiches abandoned, staring vacantly into space.

I look meaningfully at Shaun, hoping he’ll join me in rescuing the situation for Maisie’s sake.

‘It sounds horrible, I know that, sweetie,’ I say, squeezing her hand. ‘But trust me, it will be better for all of us.’

‘I’ll see more of you, Maize,’ Shaun adds. ‘I’ll still be around loads.’

I don’t like the way he puts that. I can’t let him think he can just come and go whenever he wants, like he still lives here.

‘You’ll have set days when Dad will come and pick you up, and I’m sure he’ll have lots of great things planned for the two of you.’

‘You bet.’ Shaun sits down on the other side of Maisie and holds her other hand. ‘It sounds a big deal, but life will be better. Trust me.’

Maisie turns to him. Speaks quietly.

‘Piper’s mum, Joanne Dent… Is she your new girlfriend?’

If it wasn’t such a sad, dire situation, I would have laughed out loud at the way Shaun’s jaw drops.

‘I… No, not really. Not yet. I…’ He looks at me pleadingly.

‘She’s your dad’s friend,’ I say simply, and he nods gratefully.

‘That’s right, pumpkin. Joanne is my friend and she wants us all to go out for the day on Saturday. I know she really likes you and I bet you and Piper could be really good friends too.’

Maisie shifts in her seat and a sandwich falls off her plate onto the floor.

‘I don’t think we can ever be friends,’ she says. ‘I don’t think she likes me… and I can’t stand her.’