‘And then we had gymnastics…’ Jade could hear Poppy chatting to Mark about her school day as she crept along the landing. ‘But I don’t like it.’ Jade peeked around the bathroom door to see Poppy wearing her petulant, annoying little frown.

‘Oh, why’s that then?’ Mark asked.

‘Because I like swimming better,’ Poppy said, her little face pointing upwards as Mark carefully rinsed the soap from her hair. ‘Miss Winters calls me her little mermaid,’ she informed him importantly. ‘Cos I can hold my breath for seven whole… Ouch! Daddeee…’

‘Oops, sorry, Poppet. Hold on a sec.’ Mark got hastily to his feet as Poppy clamped her hands to her soap-stung eyes. ‘Damn,’ he muttered, turning for the towel to find it wasn’t there.

The missing towel in hand, Jade took a step back down the stairs as he emerged from the bathroom to head for the airing cupboard, Poppy whingeing behind him. ‘Daddy, it’s stinging.’

Jade sighed and, covered by the outwardly opening airing cupboard door, stepped quickly back up towards the bathroom. She didn’t have to dunk her, thankfully. Poppy had already taken it upon herself to look like a drowning mermaid.

Disappearing in the nick of time, as Mark reappeared, Jade waited at the top of the stairs. And sure enough… ‘Poppy!’ Mark shouted urgently. ‘Poppy!’

‘What the hell were you doing?’ he snapped angrily, plucking her from the water and swinging Poppy towards him, who clearly wasn’t drowned. More was the pity. Peering back around the door, Jade watched jealously on.

Startled by his tone, and the shocked look on his face, Poppy squirmed in his arms, attempting to wriggle away from him.

‘Poppy, stop.’ In danger of dropping her, Mark tried to hang onto her. ‘Poppy!’

‘I was holding my breath!’ Poppy cried, and promptly burst into tears.

‘Christ…’ Mark hugged her close. ‘I’m sorry, Poppy,’ he murmured throatily into her wet hair. ‘I thought…’

---

She was rewarded, of course. Melissa fussed and fawned all over the little brat, while Mark, who’d almost suffered a heart attack, lingered awkwardly in the background, looking shocked – and guilty. As if it was his fault. Honestly, did the woman who’d promised to love and cherish him really have to work so hard at compounding his guilt? Obviously, if the child had drowned, it would have been an accident. Yet, Melissa, who’d previously thought Mark was her knight in shining armour, was looking at him as if he were a complete monster, nothing but contempt in her eyes, which was all to the good, Jade supposed.

Poppy, oblivious to the trouble she’d caused, was now busy licking her bowl free of vanilla ice cream. Little pig. They ought to have christened her Pinky.

‘Come on, sweetie, let’s get you tucked up in bed.’ Melissa, who still had a towel wrapped around her hair, shot Mark another venomous look as she plucked Poppy from the stool at the island, as if the child had lost the use of her legs.

Mark said nothing, just kneaded his forehead in that frustrated way he did. Jade knew why. He was trying to avoid arguing in front of his children. Did the woman not have eyes? A brain in her rusty-haired head? Could she not see how much he cared for his children?

Jade pulled in a breath, blowing it angrily out through her nostrils, as she headed for the kettle. ‘I’ll make some hot chocolate,’ she said, working to keep her tone in check. ‘Would you like one, Mark?’

But he just stood there, looking for all the world like a lost soul. A lost, lonely soul.

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Jade said, walking across to him and pressing a hand softly to his chest. ‘She didn’t come to any harm.’

Mark glanced down. He didn’t seem to mind her hand there. ‘She could have done,’ he said, his tone hoarse, as if he were holding back tears. ‘I shouldn’t have left her.’

The kettle boiled behind them. Jade smiled again affectionately and turned to it. She had no idea what to say to him. Words couldn’t make his pain go away. He needed comfort, holding. He needed to be loved. To be needed. She was treacherously close to telling him the truth; that bitch had never wanted him for more than his seed, his money, his status. That she’d used him, mercilessly. Never loved him. Not like Jade loved him.

‘Chocolate?’ she said instead, the kettle poised over a mug.

‘What?’ Mark looked up distractedly. ‘Oh. No, thanks.’ Smiling sadly, he turned to the lounge.

For something stronger, Jade suspected, and she didn’t blame him. How she wished she could sit next to him, lie next to him, press her ear to his chest and listen to his poor heart beating. Sighing, she popped two pills into Melissa’s hot chocolate, stirred longingly, and then froze. The hot chocolate wasn’t dairy-free, was it?